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Devils Dwarf Dragons

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park’s Jamee Hawthorne tries to get past the defense of Lake Placid’s Kaneisha Hamilton on Tuesday at Avon Park.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: November 29, 2007

AVON PARK — Size is going to be a key factor for both Lake Placid and Avon Park girls basketball teams this season, but in different ways altogether.

While the Red Devils have plenty of size in the post, the Green Dragons are lacking presence in the middle, a trend that was on full display during Avon Park's 40-18 win over Lake Placid on Tuesday at APHS.

The Red Devils got good production inside from forwards Breanna Tate and Daija Barrett, who hauled in countless rebounds, while Avon Park's defense held the visiting Green Dragons to four points in a second quarter that saw the Red Devils build a 14-point lead at half time.

Tate led with a game-high 10 points, while Barrett had seven points in the victory.

"Lake Placid moved the ball very well tonight and gave us some minor problems early on," Barrett said. "We are still learning to read offenses and if forced us to adjust to the different looks that they were giving us."

Class-3A Lake Placid (2-3) was playing its second-straight game against a taller squad after falling 53-25 to Fort Meade — which featured a pair of six-footers front line — on Monday.

Against Avon Park, Lake Placid has plenty of good looks at the basket, but failed to capitalize on those opportunities.

"When you get good looks like we were getting, you have to knock those shots down," LP head coach Shonda Legree said. "But overall, I'm happy with the way we played and on our ball movement."

Avon Park (4-1) held a slim six-point lead after the first, but came out aggressive for the second stanza, outscoring the Green Dragons 12-4 in the pivotal quarter. Guard Jamee Hawthorne darted into passing lanes seemingly at will, forcing back-to-back steals that led to easy baskets for the Red Devils, much to the delight of head coach Paulette Daley.

"This team is really stepping up its execution and gradually getting better," Daley said. "We still have a tendency to play down to the level of our competition. I thought we should have put more points on the board."

Turnovers and ball-handling mistakes plagued both squads in the third quarter, and offensive droughts followed. The Red Devils were able to pull it together, however, scoring the first six points of the half to extend its lead to 20 and limiting Lake Placid to one shot on most possessions.

Avon Park's defense held firm in the second half, holding the Green Dragons to just nine points, while getting some playing time for its second unit to give the starters a rest.

The Red Devils will need to raise their level of play if they are going to get past Class 4A-District 10 foe Booker, which they travel to face tonight, while Lake Placid hosts Lake Region on Friday. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.

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