By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

With newcomer Shaqoya Gilbert leading the way, the Lafayette Christian School Lady Cougars are on the board.

Facing visiting Heirway Christian on Tuesday, Lafayette Christian rolled to a 41-5 victory.

It was the region opener for the Lady Cougars, who improved to 1-3.

Gilbert, who played at Troup High the previous three seasons, made her debut for Lafayette Christian, and she excelled.

Gilbert scored the game’s first 10 points and finished with a team-best 20 points.

“The addition of Shaqoyah Gilbert was a big plus, and she was able to get us in the scoring column early,” Lafayette Christian head coach Rene Gomez said.

Abbey Hudson added 12 points for Lafayette Christian, and Gomez said she will benefit greatly from Gilbert’s presence.

“Abbey is a scorer, but it’s hard for her to score off the dribble,” Gomez said. “You’ve got to set up her shot. Now with the addition of Gilbert, we’re able to get Abbey some good open looks. She got into a rhythm.”

Hana Stevens added seven points, and Gomez said Harmany McCord and Caroline Cochran each played well.

“(McCord) and Caroline Cochran set the tone on defense, limiting them to one shot,” Gomez said.

Early on, it was the Gilbert show.

She got a couple of early steals while scoring five quick points, and she ended up helping Lafayette Christian surge to 10-0 lead.

“She set the tone offensively,” Gomez said. “Once that happened, our girls got a renewed energy, like we were actually going to compete. And then everybody was firing on all cylinders. We rebounded the best we’ve rebounded all year. We were able to execute.”

Gomez was glad to be able to get a lot of girls some playing time.

“Once we were able to distance ourselves, we played a lot of folks, and kept folks fresh and were able to finish the break with a win,” Gomez said.

While Heirway isn’t the best team Lafayette Christian will play this season, Gomez felt it was an encouraging effort.

“The girls can see if we put forth maximum effort, we’re going to get rewarded,” Gomez said. “That’s what they did. So hopefully they can carry that on.”