LOST CREEK, W.Va. (WV News) — Payton Trent scored 21 of her 30 points in the first half and acted as a much-needed spark as the visiting Doddridge County Bulldogs started the new year with a road win over the South Harrison Hawks on Thursday, 58-46.
“Although as a team I felt that we didn’t play very well, Payton played extremely well tonight,” Doddridge County coach Lisa Cheeseman said. “She is a streaky yet talented type of player. She has a quick first step so she is able to get to basket, score or create for others.
“Tonight, it all came together for her. She shot the ball well, read the defense with confidence and brought a lot of effort on a night I felt we needed it.” Trent went beyond simply scoring, pulling down six rebounds, dishing out three assists and nabbing a pair of steals to pace the Bulldogs to a road victory with an all-around individual performance.
For South Harrison, Halle Bland netted 13 of her team-high 19 points in the second half while Adalee Wright recorded a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double. Trent wasted no time making her impact felt, outscoring South Harrison by herself in the first quarter, 11-10, giving the Bulldogs a 16-10 advantage entering the second. Doddridge County used a combination of Trent’s hot-hand and stingy defense to pull away in the second, stringing together an extended 10-0 run lasting the first six minutes of the frame.
Trent scored the Bulldogs’ first eight points on the quarter on a series of three creati.