Latta girls basketball team relying on defense

Latta – The Latta High School girls basketball team got off to a 8-5 start in their first season

under new head coach Bobby Richardson. He credits the Vikings’ defensive prowess for their early

success.

“One of our keys to our team’s success is defense,” said Richardson, whose squad was allowing

an average of just 35.7 points per game. “The young ladies take pride in stopping teams from scoring.

Still, we have a lot of work to do on the defensive side.”

LHS, which got off to a 2-1 start in Region 6-Class A, is led by three returning senior starters in

Kardae McFadden, Layla Hyatt and Azarriona McRae. Hyatt is the team’s leading rebounder at 9.1

while scoring at a 5.3 clip. McRae is averaging 5.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 steals and a team high 1.6

blocked shots. McFadden is averaging 6.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 steals.

The backcourt of junior Kaliya Herman and sophomore Jeziyah Page leads the offense. Herman

leads in scoring at 15.8 and steals 3.9 to go with 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Page is averaging 8.6 points

and 1.7 steals.

Freshmen Summer Page and Ke’Nyah Page come off the bench. Summer is averaging 2.4

points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 steals, while Ke’Nyah is grabbing 3.8 rebounds.

Richardson believes Latta has yet to hit its stride offensively.

“We just have to finish on open opportunities,” he siad. “The 3ball (3-point shot) isn’t falling for

us right now, but eventually it will and that will open the floor as we push to make a deep run in the state

tournament.”

LATTA BOYS STRUGGLE OUT OF THE GATE

The Latta boys basketball team won only four of its first 14 games, but it did start 2-1 in region play..

Head coach Chris Page has been juggling his starting lineup but thought he had finally settled on

the first five. They are sophomore Shayon McGruder, junior Xy'mari Bethea, junior Adrian McDonald,

sophomore Desmond Bethea and junior Isaiah McRae.

McGruder and Xy'mari Bethea were leading the Vikings in scoring with 9.4 averages. Bethea was

averaging 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 steals, while McGruder was averaging 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Desmond Bethea was averaging 5.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots, McDonald was

averaging 4.8 points and 2.3 assists, and McRae was averaging 4.6 points and a team high 6.0 rebounds.

Other key players in the rotation are sophomore Anthony Williams, junior JP Bley, senior Seth

Minshew, junior Heath Mew and senior Blake Hamilton. 

Page takes the blame for Latta’s slow sart.

“It's because of me,” said Page, the former Latta standout who is in his second year as head

coach. “I have to do a better job coaching them. The key to this team being successful is finding our

identity as a team.”