After bench-clearing altercation, Westover girls win big

ALBANY — There wasn’t much drama about who was going to win the game Tuesday night at Westover, but a bench-clearing altercation underneath the basket definitely created some drama in the first-round playoff game between the Westover Lady Patriots and the Howard Lady Huskies of Macon. Westover won going away, 58-32.

The Lady Patriots led 23-14 and by the middle of the third quarter, Westover had stretched their lead to 35-21 when a battle for the ball underneath Howard’s basket got out of hand. Both girls wrestled for the ball and ended up on the floor. When the girl’s stood up, the player from Howard threw a punch at the Westover player. The girls on the Westover bench rushed to the floor before coaches, school officials, and law enforcement got in between and calmed everything down.

“I told the girls that our fight is not out there like that, our fight is to win on the scoreboard,” said Westover head coach Derek Pace.

The Howard player was ejected as were the Westover players who left the bench. Westover was awarded a technical foul with two shots and Howard was awarded two technicals, four shots, and possession of the ball.

It took a good ten minutes for the game to resume and game officials called the game very tightly afterward to try to keep the peace. However, moments later another foul under the basket led to words and one fan was removed from the game by law enforcement.

Westover led 39-27 at the end of the third quarter and Pace put on a full-court press in the fourth that held Howard to just five points in the last quarter to secure the big win.

LaDaja Caldwell led Westover with 19 points, closely followed by Jada Landers with 18. Rayven Thurston added 11 for the winners.

The Lady Patriots will now face Trinity Christian (24-5) in the Sweet 16. Trinity Christian eliminated Southeast Bulloch 88-52 Tuesday night.

Joe WhitfieldJoeWhitfield[email protected]