slideshow

The beat goes on at Westside.

All-stater Hope Lester scored 26 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, and defending AA champion Westside whipped Logan, 64-48, in the Lady Renegades season opener at Clear Fork on Wednesday night.

“We passed the ball extremely well and we were really unselfish,” said WHS coach Jamie Lusk. “These girls have good chemistry and like each other.”

The Renegades took command early and never let the Wildcats get closer than eight after the first half.

Inside scoring—Lester had two buckets and Megan Endicott added another—launched Westside to a 6-0 lead with less than two minutes gone.

When Morgan Spolarich turned a steal into a lay up at the 4:47 mark, it was 12-2.

“We always try to get off to a strong start,” Lusk commented. “When you’re playing a good team, you want to get them down. Otherwise, it’s going to be a battle down to the wire.”

The Renegades held a 19-9 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 23-10 in the second.

Shayna Gore kept the Wildcats within striking distance for a while. She had 11 points—three treys and a 15 footer—in a three minute span to close the gap to 30-22.

Lester stepped out to hit a three, Stephanie Brown hit from 17 feet and Endicott made a free throw as Westside pushed the margin to 36-22 at halftime.

Three straight Lester baskets to start the third stanza increased the lead to 20, and the Wildcats were no threat after that.

“Hope’s just a player,” said Lusk. “She knows the game, and she’s played so much it just comes naturally to her.”

The coach says fans will see her versatility when she is occasionally moved to play at guard.

In addition to Lester, WHS got 1 points from Endicott and eight from Faith Davis.

Gore tallied 19 for Logan, and Monica Mitchell had 10.

“Logan is a good team, and I think you will see them win 16 or 17 games,” stated Lusk.