CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Northwest Lady Vikings traveled to Exit 8 for a matchup with the Kirkwood High Cobras on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Thanks to an aggressive defensive gameplan and 11 points from Grace Fuuau, Northwest was able to come away with a 37-22 road victory.
The Vikings executed a full court press defense that worked well throughout the game, causing several turnovers and transition opportunities for Northwest, which helped the team build a 19-10 lead going into halftime. Northwest High head coach Ben Wallace says that the defensive side of the ball is where they look to hang their hat.
“We’ve had injuries that have hurt our depth, and our scoring has gone down, so defense is what we have to be good at,” said Wallace. “We have days where we shoot well and days where we don’t shoot it great, but defense is something we can bring every day.”
The Cobras wouldn’t go quietly though, as they went on a scoring run to cut the lead to five in the third quarter. The run was highlighted by key buckets from Kennedy Andrews, who finished as the Cobra’s leading scorer with 9 points. Kirkwood head coach Micah Rochester sees the potential in his squad but wants to see better execution.
“When you have more turnovers than points, it’s not a good formula,” said Rochester. “We just need to keep working hard, and we’re staying positive throughout. It’s a learning experience for everyone. If we take care of the basketball, we’ve got a great team.”
The Vikings extended their lead in the fourth quarter and didn’t look back as they earned a 37-22 victory. For Wallace, that win was all about the effort of his squad.
“We have to improve on the offensive side, but we played well defensively and were able to execute. We made adjustments, and we earned a victory,” Wallace said.