The girls varsity basketball team defeated J.E.B. Stuart High School 56-18 in an important rivalry game at FCHS on Tuesday, January 12.  The Lady Jags owned the scoreboard for the entirety of the game thanks to an aggressive effort against the rival Raiders.  The game was well-fought on both sides of the ball with an aggressive approach on offense and a conservative approach on defense.  The Jags jumped out of the gate in the first quarter with a 6-0 run, which eventually surged to a 23-2 lead at the end of the quarter.

The effort was outstanding for the Jags as the Raider defense could not find an answer for the freshman guard, Sierra Kennard, who finished the game with 27 points.  Kennard was hot from behind the arc, finishing the game with four three-pointers, and leading the team in points scored and three-pointers made.  Senior point guard Amber Ecelbarger distributed the ball around the paint, giving her teammates open shots, allowing the Jags to take advantage of their opportunities.  Ecelbarger finished the night with 14 points and was able to stretch the floor on fast break opportunities and make two shots from beyond the three-point arc.

As the game went on, everyone on the team got a fair amount of playing time. Younger players Leah Shaw (10) and Rasha Benhamida (10) were able to collect a few buckets and some big rebounds down in the paint.  It was a true team effort, as the Jags went on a 37-0 run from the middle of the first quarter until the early minutes of the third quarter.  Although the Raiders were losing by a large margin, they were still fighting and were able to sneak out a 7-0 run towards the end of the third quarter.

The passing that the Jags displayed during the contest was one of the reasons the Jags were able to shoot so efficiently.  The Jags were able to drain four points from the free-throw line and as a team were able to sink six three-pointers.