Bella Hastings scored 21 points Monday night as the Lady Broncos topped Van Buren County 40-31 at home. The Boyd Middle School girls are now 2-0 this season.
You could say Bella Hastings has been a big addition to Boyd Christian.
The sweet-shooting forward was on fire Monday night, scoring a game-best 21 points as the Lady Broncos were able to stampede to a 40-31 victory over visiting Van Buren County. Moni Harris added a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to help her team move to 2-0.
“Games like this give us a great foundation to build on as we continue preparing for the upcoming season. We have a few things to keep working on, but I’m so proud of the effort, heart and determination these girls showed tonight.,” said coach Dara Johnson. “We faced a team with some great size tonight, and I think we were a little intimidated at the beginning. But our girls settled down, found their rhythm and and got right back into the game.”
Hastings moved to Boyd last month and has gelled immediately in the new lineup, one that had to endure some early struggles against the Eaglettes before catching fire. Van Buren County took a swift 6-0 lead behind outside shooting, with Reagan Measles and London Baker both draining early triples. Measles would go on to hit three 3-pointers on her way to a team-best 15 points.
Boyd steadied the ship by relying on its twin towers. Harris and Hastings worked their way to the paint for layups, then the Lady Broncos found a major spark in the matter of seconds from the outside.
Sixth grader Karsyn Bain swished a 3-pointer from the wing to make it 8-7, then Boyd jumped into a full-court press that saw Van Buren County throw an errant pass right through the middle of the court. Hastings stepped right up to the ball and never hesitated from the top of the key, splashing home a second triple as Boyd took a lead it would never relenquish.
The advantage grew to double figures early in the second quarter. Harris opened up the scoring with a layup, then Hastings followed with a triple. It was the start of a deadly 1-2 punch Boyd displayed the rest of the night.
Harris and Hastings took turns asserting their will in the paint. Both were bullies on the block, with Harris flying in for a putback before Hastings worked her way into an and-1 layup later in the quarter. Their play helped Boyd open up a 22-12 lead, but Van Buren County’s strong shooting closed the gap to 25-20 by the break.
Harris opened up the second half with another layup, but it defense and free-throw shooting late that ultimately proved to be the difference. Hastings went 6-for-6 from the line in the second half, along with hitting a jumper, as Boyd was able to hold on for a big statement win against a public school that has been feeding a high school program that has been to the state in back-to-back years.
“When the other team made a run, we had a moment of panic, but I loved seeing our girls regroup, refocus, and lock back in to finish strong and bring home another win. There’s nothing better than watching this team grow, learn and fight together. I’m beyond blessed and excited to be their coach and I can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us.”
Rain Curtis and Bain both finished with three points each and Kashlyn Garrett had a big layup during the later stages of the first half to round out the Boyd scoring. The Lady Broncos will make the return trip to Van Buren County next Friday, Nov. 6.
