West Port girls fall short at home against Gainesville High, 38-36

West Port’s Mia Lake (4) takes the ball away from Gainesville’s Ta’Niya Walker (32) during a basketball game at West Port High School in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

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Posted December 14, 2021 | By Joel Bronson

joel@ocalagazette.com

The Gainesville Lady Hurricanes were able to squeak out a victory against the West Port Lady Wolfpack on Tuesday night with a tight 38-36 road win.

Lady Hurricanes junior forward Leyah Houston scored 13 points and tallied three steals, while junior center Ta’Niya Walker scored 8 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the win.

The game was close from start to finish, with neither team holding a lead of more than five points at any point.

The first quarter was a defensive battle, with the teams tied 6-6 going into the 2^nd quarter.

Gainesville used a 9-4 run to end the first half, using a press to force the issue and entered halftime with a 22-17 lead.

Junior guard Trinity Goodson hit two key 3-pointers for West Port, as the team closed to within two points to end the third quarter.

A back-and-forth 4^th quarter saw the Lady Hurricanes hit key free throws to ultimately seal the win.

West Port was led by junior guard Mia Lake, who scored 12 points, dished three assists, and blocked two shots for her squad. Freshman forward Saige McCloud scored 4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

With the win, Gainesville moved to 5-3 on the season. The Lady Hurricanes will host Hawthorne on Thursday night with a 7:00 p.m. scheduled tip.

West Port, at 6-1 after the loss, will travel to North Marion on Thursday for a road game between two of Marion County’s best girls’ basketball squads. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.