CARROLLTON - Building on fundamental skills and coming together as a team are top priorities within the Granite City Warriors and Father McGivney Griffins girls' basketball teams.
The Warriors held command over the Griffins over the course of Saturday morning's game at the 43rd Annual Carrollton Lady Hawk Girls Basketball Invitational, ultimately defeating the team 51-34.
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Although the scoreboard showed a 17-point lead for the Warriors at the final buzzer, the score felt much closer, as each team showcased their strengths.
Father McGivney head coach Jeff Oliver praised his team's battle against the Warriors, despite their loss.
"We've improved throughout the year," Oliver said. "Experiences like this are great for them. We wanted to come out and compete and I think we really did that, even thoigh I wanted us to come out quicker in the first half."
Kara Mosby led the Griffins with 13 points. Caitlyn Pendall scored six points. Rachel Kassing brought in four points while Sierra Williams and Faith Robbins each scored three. Madison Webb and Macy Hoppes locked in two each. Michelle Allen earned one free point.
Granite City head coach Whitney Sykes-Rogers thinks that, especially since her team will be facing Civic Memorial in the next round, her team needs to clean up their game in a lot of different ways.
"I felt like we really did not play very well," she said. "You have to give them credit. We didn't match that intensity. Luckily we were talented enough to push through and finally make some things, but we missed a lot of lay-ups, that really killed us in the first half."
Addaya Moore led the Warriors with 24 points for the day while Haley Crider scored nine points. TiZiara Jones contributed eight and Akila Moore brought in four. Viktoria Johnson and Robyn Pointer earned two while Erika Hurst scored one free point.
The Griffins enter the consolation bracket and will face the hosting Lady Hawks at 5 p.m. Monday. As previously mentioned, the Granite City Warriors will move on to face the Civic Memorial High School Eagles at 6 p.m. Tuesday.