The Red Eddies girls’ basketball team was raining down 3 pointers for much of the first half as EL roared to a convincing 78-39 win over Lewiston.

EL hit seven 3’s, from four different players. The Red Eddies also had nine kids get involved in the  scoring.

“I just love how we’re sharing the ball and playing as a team,” EL coach Craig Jipson said.

Ashlee Arnold led EL (4-1) with 17 points while Kory Norcross added 12. Emily Jacques had 11 and Kate Sawyer and Tianna Harriman each had 10.

Sawyer, Harriman and Norcross each had two 3’s while Arnold also drilled one.

“A lot of good teams are good because they have one good player,” said Norcross. “For us, if we have one player that’s having an off game, we have four or five other shooters that can shoot the ball.”

Lewiston (1-4) was led by Laurianne Murphy with 13, including a trio of 3’s of her own. Brie Wilson added 12.

The Blue Devils were plagued by 11 turnovers in the first quarter and 2-for-12 shooting from the floor. That put them in a 22-4 hole after the first.

“We had a ton of turnovers,” Lewiston coach Mike Labonte said. “We turned the ball over a lot. Part of the maturation process is learning how to deal with that. Good team’s press. Athletic teams press. It’s a work in progress.”

EL didn’t help Lewiston’s cause by hitting four 3’s in that first quarter. Though EL started the game missing its first five shots, the Red Eddies quickly heated up.

“Every year we seem to come out nervous a little bit,” Norcross said. “We’re pumped up but the nerves are still there. It takes a little while. Once we start hitting the 3’s and playing good defense and get up a little we play pretty good and get into a groove.”

Leading 6-4 after a Jenessa Talarico jumper for Lewiston, EL got a fast break basket by Harriman. Then Norcross scored on a rebound and Arnold followed with two free throws for a 12-4 lead.

Harriman then hit a pair of 3’s. Norcross followed with one of her own. Eraleena Hairston finished the quarter with a free throw and 22-4 lead.

“Lewiston has improved so much,” Jipson said. “That’s why we knew it was going to take some effort.”

EL expanded the lead in the second. Norcross started things off with another 3. Though Lewiston got a spark from Murhpy off the bench with nine points, EL finished the half with an 11-5 run that made it 38-19 at the half. Then a 26-7 third quarter broke the game open.

“You can’t keep giving the other team extra shots and extra rebounds,” Labonte said. “They have over 20 offensive rebounds. You can’t give good team those extra chances.”

EL got some fine play in the second half from Hairston and Karli Stubbs off the bench. Sarah Hammond added a hoop and so did Danielle Rock, who left the game in the first half with a bloody nose after getting hit in the face.

kmills@sunjournal.com

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