HOWARD — The story of Thursday night’s non-league game at East Knox High School was pretty much written by the middle of the second quarter. Hayley Gray, who led the host Bulldogs with 13 points, dropped in a pair of 3-pointers to lead a 20-3 opening outburst. The Bulldogs went on to beat the winless Northmor Knights in handy fashion, 51-31.
“I couldn’t do anything without my teammates,” said Gray. “Somebody has to get an assist. We’re always there for each other. So, when I get the ball, everybody’s confident; and when I get ready to shoot that 3, everybody is ready to rebound and back me up.”
For the Bulldogs, it was one last taste of home cooking before they hit the road. They know that they cannot let up as they face Mid-Buckeye Conference play.
“We have five big games in a row coming up — all away,” said East Knox coach Jim Davis, whose team took advantage of 19 first-half turnovers by Northmor. “We have been scoring a lot more and playing a lot better. We got a win and we’ll move on from there. We have Danville on Saturday and Utica next week. We’re just moving through the league and seeing what we can do.”
The Bulldogs got plenty of help from Josie Burwell. She had seven points, three rebounds, two steals and three assists before fouling out near the end of the game. Her sister, Jade Burwell, had seven points in the Bulldogs’ winning effort. Both contributed, in a big way, to the early lead.