With a couple days in between facing region opponents, the Marietta Lady Blue Devils basketball team hosted the Sprayberry Yellow Jackets in non-region action, looking for their fourth consecutive win, while the Yellow Jackets, coming off a region win over Riverwood, hoped for momentum to stay in their favor.
As the game got underway, after Sprayberry took a 3-2 lead following a Kaitlyn Williams (28 points) three-point basket, Marietta would close out the quarter on a 17-3 run to take a 19-6 lead by the end of the opening period of play. In the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets offense found their rhythm, as they would outscore the Lady Blue Devils 14-11 in the period, yet trailed 30-20 at halftime.
However, in the third quarter, Blue Devils' sophomore, Leah DeWitt, would record 20 of her game high 37 points and Marietta would win the quarter by outscoring the Yellow Jackets 25-18 to take a 55-38 lead into the final period of play. And while Sprayberry would be outscored by just one-point in the quarter, Marietta's offense remained on track to pick up the 79-61 win as the Blue Devils improved to 11-4 on the season.
"We got tested," Marietta head coach, Derrick DeWitt, said following Saturday's game, crediting his players for stepping up to face the challenges they faced against Sprayberry. "We have to respond and we did," DeWitt said of the Lady Blue Devils responding to the multiple runs made by the Yellow Jackets.
"This games like this provide an opportunity to let the rhythm of the game, play to the strengths of certain players," DeWitt said of his team and how well they played offensively and defensively as they look to continue strengthening style of play. "Just finding that dynamic so we can be a stronger team in February," DeWitt said.