WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: KCC's comeback attempt stymied by Parkland

The Cavs got off to a rough start in the first quarter, despite attempting numerous shots. Five different Cavaliers (Valorie Dagg, Summer Hill, Na’lani Williams, Hayley Diveley and Jazmyn Williams) would score in the first, combining for 12 points. Unfortunately, the Cobras were heavier on skills all around and would end the quarter leading the Lady Cavaliers 19-12.

In the second quarter, KCC sprung out of the gate with a burst of aggression they hadn’t shown in the first. It would prove to be not enough to keep up with their opponents, though, as the Cobras’ tough defense opened a 42-18 lead toward the end of the quarter. The Cavaliers matched every point the Cobras scored for the remainder of the quarter, finishing with a large deficit of 48-24.

Following halftime, the Cavs made a strong comeback. KCC freshman Sarah Burton had three steals to help her team maintain possession of the ball, something the team had struggled with in the first half. KCC chipped away at the Cobras’ lead during the quarter, holding them to just 13 points.

Their determination paid off, and the Cavaliers outscored the Cobras 26-13 to shrink their deficit to just 11 points by the end of the quarter. Diveley capped the comeback quarter off nicely for KCC when she sank a 3-pointer to close the margin to 61-50 entering the fourth.

Despite a strong third quarter, the hosts were unable to keep the pace in the fourth. The Cobras bit back, making it nearly impossible for the Lady Cavaliers to maintain their momentum and keep the double-digit margin through the game’s finish.

After falling behind by such a large halftime margin, Meister noted the urgency that came from her locker room, something that was evident as the Cavaliers attempted to mount their second-half comeback.

“[During halftime,] Hayley Diveley made the comment that this is college, and when you’re down by 20, it doesn’t really mean anything at the college level, so the girls just had a spurt in the third quarter to get after it,” Meister said. “We had it within 11, and then unfortunately we got gassed and went back to our old ways.”

The Cavaliers have also found bright spots — improvements and the return of a key player.

“I just think that, maybe not on paper, but we did better with steals today and we had a lot of fast breaks,” Jazmyn Smith said. “Amarii [Mays] jumping out with her 3s, and Hayley [Diveley] being back, that helped us out a lot.”

Diveley had 11 points as she continues to gain form after recovering from a concussion.

“I recently came back from a concussion, and my shot’s been a little off, so finding my shot after two weeks of not shooting at all was definitely a struggle, but my threes are falling again,” Diveley said. “I was able to really step up and be a scorer for my team.”

STAT BOOK

Valorie Dagg had 16 points and 5 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers. Smith added 13 points and 4 rebounds. Diveley added 11 points and 3 assists. Williams and Mays each had 8 points, and Williams tacked on 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers return to their home floor at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for a matchup with Illinois Central College.