Sonny Dearth
02-06-2008, 11:47 AM
Walsingham girls unbeaten no more
She’la White scores a school-record-tying 44 points in Norfolk Collegiate’s easy win.
BY GEORGE WATSON/CORRESPONDENT
WILLIAMSBURG — Had North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell been in attendance at Walsingham Academy’s gym Tuesday night, she would have been flashing that wide country girl grin at the performance of one of her prize recruits for next year.
Norfolk Collegiate senior point guard She’la White turned in her best performance of the year with 44 points in leading the Oaks to an easy 79-50 Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools victory over the previously unbeaten Trojans. The visitors from the Southside (19-1, 6-0 TCIS) bumped Walsingham (18-1, 5-1) out of a first-place tie. The Oaks are ranked No. 1 in the state among Division I private schools, while Walsingham holds the top spot in Division II.
White’s points came on 15-of-25 shooting, including six of seven 3-pointers. Her 44 points tied a school record set by Tara Voke 21 years ago.
The 5-6 speedster displayed an array of shots, driving underhand layups, short jump shots in the lane and 3-pointers from well behind the arc. When she wasn’t scoring, she was dishing off to teammates to score.
"She is just a special kind of player," praised Oaks coach Suzanne Midkiff said of White. "She either finds the right person or takes the right shot."
Walshingham coach Kevin Williams also heaped praise on White, whose previous high this season was 37 points.
Said Williams, "She is just a phenomenal basketball player. She did a good job of getting to the basket and getting her teammates involved."
"I was really hyped for this game," said White, remembering back to last season’s four-point overtime win over the Trojans in the TCIS title game. That was Walsingham’s last loss.
Wasting no time igniting her team, White scored eight of the Oaks' first 10 points, including a pair of treys, and the visitors were never really threatened. White also scored her team’s last six points of the half to carry a 39-26 lead into intermission.
Only the Trojans’ success at the free-throw line (16 of 20) kept them in the game in the first half as they made only 5 of 23 field-goal attempts and had 11 turnovers to just two for the winners.
"It seems like they came with a real purpose tonight and we just never got started," added Williams.
Senior center Kelly Korkowski led the Trojans with 21 points and 19 rebounds. Caroline Wilke added 16 points.
In a 63-60 double-overtime Walsingham win in the junior-varsity game, Trojans point guard Racheal Webb, an eighth-grader, also scored 44 points.
White said she picked North Carolina over other national powers UConn and Maryland because her family is full of Tar Heels fans and "I fell in love with the place the moment I stepped foot on campus."
Hatchell is glad she did.
NORFOLK COLLEGIATE 79, WALSINGHAM 50
NORFOLK COLLEGIATE (19-1, 6-0 TCIS): White 44, M. Smith 14, Kelly 3, Weaver 4, Byrd 5, Peterson 7, O. Smith 2. Totals 29 14-24 79.
WALSINGHAM (18-1, 5-1): Murphy 2, Wilke 16, Korkowski 21, Horne 3, Pranciliauskaite 5, Leatigaga 3. Totals 13 24-33 50.
Norfolk Collegiate 23 16 25 15 — 79
Walsingham 14 12 13 11 — 50
3-point goals — NC 7 (White 6, Kelly). Total fouls — NC 19, Walsingham 16. Technical — Walsingham coach. JV — Walsingham 63-60, 2 OT.
She’la White scores a school-record-tying 44 points in Norfolk Collegiate’s easy win.
BY GEORGE WATSON/CORRESPONDENT
WILLIAMSBURG — Had North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell been in attendance at Walsingham Academy’s gym Tuesday night, she would have been flashing that wide country girl grin at the performance of one of her prize recruits for next year.
Norfolk Collegiate senior point guard She’la White turned in her best performance of the year with 44 points in leading the Oaks to an easy 79-50 Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools victory over the previously unbeaten Trojans. The visitors from the Southside (19-1, 6-0 TCIS) bumped Walsingham (18-1, 5-1) out of a first-place tie. The Oaks are ranked No. 1 in the state among Division I private schools, while Walsingham holds the top spot in Division II.
White’s points came on 15-of-25 shooting, including six of seven 3-pointers. Her 44 points tied a school record set by Tara Voke 21 years ago.
The 5-6 speedster displayed an array of shots, driving underhand layups, short jump shots in the lane and 3-pointers from well behind the arc. When she wasn’t scoring, she was dishing off to teammates to score.
"She is just a special kind of player," praised Oaks coach Suzanne Midkiff said of White. "She either finds the right person or takes the right shot."
Walshingham coach Kevin Williams also heaped praise on White, whose previous high this season was 37 points.
Said Williams, "She is just a phenomenal basketball player. She did a good job of getting to the basket and getting her teammates involved."
"I was really hyped for this game," said White, remembering back to last season’s four-point overtime win over the Trojans in the TCIS title game. That was Walsingham’s last loss.
Wasting no time igniting her team, White scored eight of the Oaks' first 10 points, including a pair of treys, and the visitors were never really threatened. White also scored her team’s last six points of the half to carry a 39-26 lead into intermission.
Only the Trojans’ success at the free-throw line (16 of 20) kept them in the game in the first half as they made only 5 of 23 field-goal attempts and had 11 turnovers to just two for the winners.
"It seems like they came with a real purpose tonight and we just never got started," added Williams.
Senior center Kelly Korkowski led the Trojans with 21 points and 19 rebounds. Caroline Wilke added 16 points.
In a 63-60 double-overtime Walsingham win in the junior-varsity game, Trojans point guard Racheal Webb, an eighth-grader, also scored 44 points.
White said she picked North Carolina over other national powers UConn and Maryland because her family is full of Tar Heels fans and "I fell in love with the place the moment I stepped foot on campus."
Hatchell is glad she did.
NORFOLK COLLEGIATE 79, WALSINGHAM 50
NORFOLK COLLEGIATE (19-1, 6-0 TCIS): White 44, M. Smith 14, Kelly 3, Weaver 4, Byrd 5, Peterson 7, O. Smith 2. Totals 29 14-24 79.
WALSINGHAM (18-1, 5-1): Murphy 2, Wilke 16, Korkowski 21, Horne 3, Pranciliauskaite 5, Leatigaga 3. Totals 13 24-33 50.
Norfolk Collegiate 23 16 25 15 — 79
Walsingham 14 12 13 11 — 50
3-point goals — NC 7 (White 6, Kelly). Total fouls — NC 19, Walsingham 16. Technical — Walsingham coach. JV — Walsingham 63-60, 2 OT.