Nansemond River High School’s girls’ basketball team won its first holiday tournament game against Sandy Creek out of Georgia on Wednesday.

The Lady Warriors are in South Carolina participating in the Carolina Classic Holiday Tournament. In their first game, they took on Sandy Creek High School, winning 46-33.

“We struggled a bit offensively early, but our defense was solid throughout,” Lady Warriors coach R. Calvin Mason Sr. said.

At halftime, both teams were tied at 18. Mason said he didn’t think either team played their best basketball that day. In the second half, the Lady Warriors made a stronger offensive stride to help propel them to the victory.

Briana Autrey and Cassidy Simmons led the way with 11 points each. Autrey added five assists, five steals, and five rebounds. The Lady Warriors’ defense in the fourth quarter was stifling, allowing Sandy Creek just four points.

“I was pleased with the girls’ effort,” Mason said. “This was our first time playing in over a week, so we had a little bit of rust to shake off. I was satisfied with our composure. Our execution wasn’t great, but we stayed within ourselves.”

“We played well, even though we started off slow,” Autrey said. “Towards the end of the game, we started picking it up and played Nansemond River basketball like we were supposed to.

Sandy Creek hails is ranked among the top 10 girls’ teams in in Georgia. Nansemond River was able to put a quality win under their belt while also gaining the experience of playing a team from outside the area.

“The opportunity gives us great exposure to see how other teams outside of the state play,” Mason said. “It builds confidence for us and gives us a chance to see that we can handle different situations. We get a chance to find out a lot about ourselves.”

“It felt good to leave the area and know that we are still able to beat good teams,” Simmons said.

The win moves the Lady Warriors to 7-2 on the year and advanced them to the semifinal in the Carolina Invitational.

“We know what we have to do to get to where we want to be this year,” Simmons said. “If we play our game and stay humble, I know we’ll do great in the new year.”