CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Northeast High Lady Eagles traveled across the river to Montgomery Central High School for a matchup with the Lady Indians on Friday. Physical defense on both ends, especially down low, provided minimal scoring opportunities, but the Indians took advantage of them and ran away with a 57-22 win.

The two teams traded blows early, before MCHS strung together a few buckets to take a 19-8 first-quarter lead. The defenses tightened up from there this point forward.

“These girls are physical, aggressive, and they take their defense personally,” said Indians head coach Tony Amero. “They want to do it right, they call themselves hounddogs on that end of the floor. That’s the kind of play we want to be known for as a program, and hopefully that leads to more wins.”

The Eagles never quit, but they were unable to find the back of the net consistently on offense. The Indians ran away with an inner-city victory on their home floor, which was led by 13 points from junior guard Maggie Ward. 

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“Give Central credit, they came out and played better than we did,” said Eagles head coach Tracie Mason-Blair. “We have a young bunch, and our stress to them tonight was defense. We accomplished some positive things, but we still have a lot of work to do. Whether it’s December or March, we’re just trying to get better every single game.”

As for Montgomery Central, they’re building something under first-year head coach Tony Amero. While they still have areas to improve, this year’s addition of the Lady Indians isn’t what you’re used to. They’re tough, they’re physical and they’re scrappy.

“Our girls played hard. This is what we talk about in practice: playing the game the right way and seeing what happens,” said Amero. “We’re going to enjoy this win, and then we’re back to work tomorrow. We have a long season ahead, so it’s about addressing the small details as we move forward.”

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