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LEESBURG – In a family rivalry on the hardwood, the Lee East and Lee West basketball teams split victories Wednesday night, with each school celebrating their eighth-grade players and cheerleaders. The Lee East girls (18-1) dominated with a 60-38 win, while the Lee West boys secured a 40-28 victory.

The Lee East girls used an aggressive full-court press to force turnovers and score easy baskets, jumping out to a commanding lead early. They led 29-17 at halftime, but Lee West rallied in the third quarter to close the gap to seven points. Lee East head coach Brandy Black responded by re-inserting her starting lineup and turning up the defensive intensity.

Zhniyah Black led Lee East with 18 points, while Harmony Moore and Naraji McDowell added 10 points each. Ariel Ofodile led Lee West with 14 points, and Nileah Jefferson contributed 13.

In the boys’ game, Lee West started strong, with Jeremy Vaughan scoring three consecutive baskets to fuel a 10-4 lead. Amari Weston added a basket, and Brycen Mazariegos made a steal and layup to extend the advantage.

Lee East clawed back in the second quarter with their own full-court press, trimming the deficit to 12-10. However, West adjusted and pulled away after Mazariegos scored on back-to-back plays, pushing the lead to 18-10. Kam Franklin hit a three-pointer and two free throws for East late in the half, cutting the margin to 22-15, but that was as close as they would get.