In a Friday night showdown on Dec. 12 against the Fauquier Falcons, the ‘Stangs girls basketball team took their record to 4-0 after a strong second-half performance.
The first quarter consisted of disciplined defenses from both sides, with Meridian holding a 9-8 lead at the first buzzer. The second quarter saw much of the same, and a strong defense from the Mustangs limited the Falcons to just two points throughout the entire quarter. Meridian entered halftime holding a narrow 16-10 lead.
After a close first half, five consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter from juniors Charlotte Lieu and Rose Weatherly allowed the Mustangs’ rejuvenated offense to take control.
Head coach Chris Carrico credited the second-half success to patience and strong shooting.
“We tried to stay patient … we can’t get rushed,” said coach Carrico.
Charlotte Lieu led the third quarter with several three-pointers to extend the Mustangs’ lead over the Falcons to 10 points. Lieu would go on to score 18 points, her fourth consecutive game with more than ten.
Meridian maintained their lead into the 4th quarter and ultimately prevailed over the Falcons 40-22.
After the game, coach Carrico emphasized the importance of defense, and its role in their first few games.
“Defense can help [us] win games, and we’ve seen this in our first four games,” said coach Carrico.
The Friday night win over Fauquier gives the Mustangs an undefeated record of 4-0.
