By Sara Page, Midlothian Exchange
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Ask Trinity Episcopal girls’ varsity basketball coach Becky Currier about the championship game of the annual E. Dale Travis Invitational Basketball Tournament and she’ll happily talk about the second half.

Facing a highly potent Hampton Roads Academy team, the Lady Titans held their opponents to seven points in the fourth quarter and outscored the Navigators 29-17 in the half.

It’s the first half they’d rather not talk about in the 58-45 loss.

Playing a visibly scrappier defense, the Lady Titans forced 11 turnovers in the second half including five on steals from four different players.

“We made some adjustments at halftime and we definitely slowed them down in the second half,” Currier said.

Trinity Episcopal found its offensive groove as well.

Guard Jillian Brown came alive with 16 points including 11 from the free-throw line. She helped draw the Hampton Roads defense to the outside, which freed up the inside for the duo of Caroline Fletcher and Jessica Addison.

Addison grabbed an offensive board near the end of the third quarter and drew the foul. She netted both shots then converted another inside bucket on the inbounding play following a time out.

A long, two-point shot at the buzzer from guard Jennifer Smith brought the Lady Titans past half way with one quarter left, but Hampton Roads hung on for the win.

“We dug too deep a hole to get all the way out of it,” Currier said. “However … I’m very proud of the fact that we kept playing and played very hard up to the end.”

Hampton Roads forced 15 turnovers in the first half nn route to a 41-16 first-half lead. The Lady Navigators scored 18 unanswered points in the first quarter and brandished several offensive weapons. Tournament MVP Adrienne Motley picked up eight of her 22 points in the first quarter. She combined with forward Braysia Hicks to draw the Trinity zone into the paint, leaving guard Caitlyn Unsworth open on the perimeter. Unsworth drained five three-pointers in the half.

“The first half was frustrating,” Currier said. “We turned the ball over. We were making mistakes would shouldn’t make. We looked kind of rusty on a Saturday afternoon, but I was very proud of the way we slowed it up and took care of things in the second half.”

Brown led the way for Trinity with 23 points. Addison added five points and four rebounds and Fletcher put up five points and grabbed seven boards.

Unsworth and Motley led Hampton with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Motley also pulled down 15 rebounds.

Named to the all-tournament team were Sarah Burroughs from Steward School; Hicks, Unsworth and Motley from Hampton Roads; and Fletcher and Brown from Trinity Episcopal. Motley was named tournament MVP.