Andrews – For Andrews girls basketball, it’s no secret the last two plus seasons have been less than ideal. The Lady Wildcats went a combined 1-35 in 2019-20 and 2021, and were off to an 0-4 start this year heading into Friday night’s game against Invest Collegiate Imagine Charter from Asheville.
After losing to a strong Tellico Plains, Tenn., team 64-24 and Hiwassee Dam 52-12 earlier in the week, Andrews got in the win column by besting Invest Collegiate 55-19. It was their first win since beating Nantahala 55-52 on Dec. 13, 2019, snapping a 35-game losing streak.
“There were a lot of smiling faces in the locker room,” Duong said. “We look forward to opportunities to add more if we’re able to play right.”
Senior Emily Mealer led Andrews with 20 points, while freshman Kylie Donaldson joined her in double figures with 12 after missing the Dec. 7 contest against the Lady Eagles.
For Duong, what made the difference was turnovers. With only a few players with significant basketball experience, the Lady Wildcats struggle to take care of the ball at times.
When teams get aggressive on defense, that only compounds their issue. Against Invest Collegiate, Andrews was the aggressor.
“Our defensive effort was really, really (good),” Duong said. “We were able to turn them over more than they were able to turn us over. I think any time you can make that happen, we’ll be able to battle our way in any game.”
Duong knows his team will face better competition, especially as it dives into Smoky Mountain Conference play. The Lady Wildcats have lost 27 straight games against conference competition, a streak they’ll be looking to break this week against either Hayesville or Swain County.
“It always helps to get a win under your belt before conference play to lift confidence,” Duong said. “We’ve gotta keep building confidence and take steps forward before facing these better teams.”