Fast start, defensive intensity carry Casey-Westfield past Red Hill

A dominant first quarter and a standout performance from senior Lucy Moore propelled the Casey-Westfield Lady Warriors to a gritty 29-20 victory over Red Hill in girls’ high school basketball action.

The Warriors (25-26 season) established control immediately, jumping out to a 15-6 lead in the opening period. That early offensive burst proved to be the deciding factor in a game that quickly turned into a defensive slugfest.

In a statistical rarity, defenses on both sides completely clamped down in the second quarter, with neither team allowing a single point. Casey-Westfield entered halftime holding a 15-6 advantage.

Senior Lucy Moore led the charge for the Lady Warriors, scoring nearly half of her team’s total points. Moore finished with a game-high 14 points and dominated the glass with 9 rebounds, falling just one board shy of a double-double. Her aggressive play also earned her trips to the free-throw line, where she converted 4-of-6 attempts.

While points were hard to come by in the second half, the Warriors maintained their lead through balanced contributions and opportunistic defense. Sophomore G. Gilbert filled the stat sheet with an impressive all-around game, tallying 5 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a team-high 3 steals.

Senior Julia Eckerty and junior Gracie Taylor added 5 points apiece to round out the scoring for Casey-Westfield. The Warriors’ defense was active all night, recording 9 total steals and forcing Red Hill into a difficult shooting night (7-of-43 from the field).

Red Hill was led by senior Caitlee Gray, who scored 12 of her team’s 20 points, but the Salukis could not overcome the early deficit.

The Warriors managed the game down the stretch, matching Red Hill in the fourth quarter to secure the nine-point win.

SCORING SUMMARY
Casey-Westfield: 15 – 0 – 5 – 9 — 29
Red Hill: 6 – 0 – 6 – 8 — 20

CASEY-WESTFIELD STATS:

• Lucy Moore: 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

• G. Gilbert: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists

• Julia Eckerty: 5 points, 4 rebounds

• Gracie Taylor: 5 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 3PM

• Kayla Clark: 4 rebounds, 1 steal

RED HILL LEADERS:

• Caitlee Gray: 12 points, 4 rebounds

• Riley Moore: 3 points, 5 rebounds

• Lily Clark: 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks