By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
They struggled from the inside. They struggled from the outside. They struggled at the free throw line.
That did not leave many options for the W.S. Neal Lady Blue Eagles and even fewer answers, as they dropped a 44-27 decision to the visiting Flomaton Lady Hurricanes Monday.
Many of the same areas that hindered W.S. Neal (0-2) in its season-opening loss to McKenzie resurfaced against Flomaton, mainly shooting.
The Lady Blue Eagles were just nine-for-38 from the field (24) percent. That included a one-for-13 performance from three-point land. In fact, W.S. Neal has hit just two of 29 shots from behind the arc in its first two games.
Free throws on both sides were also a big key. While the Lady Blue Eagles hit just eight of 19 attempts, Flomaton (4-0) connected on 22 of 29 charity tosses.
Post defense also hurt the Lady Blue Eagles, especially in the early going.
Flomaton center Lillian Williams had two buckets and a pair of free throws in the opening quarter and added another field goal in the opening minute of the second quarter. Despite Williams' early production, W.S. Neal only trailed 14-9 up to that point.
That margin rapidly grew after that, as a fastbreak layup by Ashley Conrad and two free throws each by Tiffany Cayson, Jodi Lisenby and Carol Harden took the lead into double digits at 20-9. Flomaton kept that advantage in double digits the rest of the way.
Another basket by Williams in the final minute of the first half stretched Flomaton's lead to a first half high margin of 24-9. It would also be a 15-point bulge of 25-10 at halftime.
Five minutes into the second half the lead reached 20 points at 34-14 on a charity toss by Williams. It reached a game high gap of 36-14 on two free throws by Lisenby moments later.
Nearly half (13) of W.S. Neal's 27 points were scored after Flomaton took its biggest lead. Seven of those came off two buckets and three free throws by Shekinah Adams.
The Lady Blue Eagles, who played their first road game of the season Tuesday at Pleasant Home, host next Tuesday to face Frisco City at 5 p.m.
At W.S. Neal
Flomaton 10 15 11 8 – 44
W.S. Neal 7 3 8 9 – 27
FLOMATON (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) T. Cayson 3-0-8-14; Williams 4-0-4-12; Lisenby 2-0-4-8; Conrad 1-0-3-5; Harden 1-0-0-2; A. Cayson 1-0-0-2; Peters 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 11-0-22-44)
W.S. NEAL (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Andrews 2-1-2-9; Adams 2-0-4-8; Matthews 1-0-1-3; Marshall 1-0-1-3; Likely 1-0-0-2; Bailem 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 8-1-8-27)