Altavista is nearly halfway through its 2011-12 basketball schedule.
The Lady Colonels have played nine games and currently stand above .500 with a 5-4 record.
The team is 2-0 in the Dogwood District, having knocked off Gretna in its opener and most recently William Campbell.
Rustburg was Altavista's first opponent, and the Lady Colonels left the village with 44-34 win on Nov. 29.
Altavista jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead and led throughout the game. The Lady Colonels went on to outscore Rustburg 18-8 in the first quarter.
Takara Dews had 12 of her game-high 17 points in that quarter, including four 3-point field goals. She also had four steals and three rebounds.
The team shot 8-for-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch to preserve the victory.
"It was a great way to start off the season with a win against a team we had not beaten in a few years," Coach Debra Spencer said. "It was a typical first game with both teams trying to get into a flow on offense, but in the end, we made a few more plays than they did and were able to come away with a win."
Also contributing statistically were Kayla Lee with eight points, four rebounds and three steals; Sydney Morris with seven points, eight rebounds and two steals; Kalia Donigan with seven points and five rebounds; Kayla Donigan with three points and four rebounds; and Ryan Hedgpeth with two points, four assists, two steals and three rebounds.
On Dec. 2, Altavista hosted Brookville and fell 43-24.
"We struggled offensively all night from the floor and from the free-throw line. It is hard to beat a team like Brookville shooting 20 percent from the floor and below 50 percent from the free-throw line," Spencer said. "We had too many turnovers and missed opportunities on offense."
Altavista's hustle kept the team in the game. The Lady Colonels closed to 28-23 on a 3-point play by Morris with 3:30 remaining. Brookville then outscored Altavista 15-1 to close out the game.
Morris led all players with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals. Dews contributed six points, three rebounds and three steals, while Lee had four points and three rebounds. Kayla Donigan had two points and two rebounds.
The Lady Colonels squared off with Rustburg again on Dec. 6. This time, Rustburg came out on top 55-35.
"Rustburg turned the tables and jumped out on us 17-8, and they never looked back, building a 37-14 halftime lead," Spencer said. "Once again offensively, turnovers, missed opportunities and missed shots plagued us all game. We came out with more intensity and hustle in the second half and played better on both ends of the floor, which was good to see, but we need to start games stronger."
Morris once again led the team with 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Dews tallied eight points, three steals and two assists, while Lee had five points, two rebounds and a steal.
Arika Wilson contributed four points, three rebounds and two steals; Kayla Donigan had three points, three rebounds and two assists; Kalia Donigan had three points and three rebounds; and Hedgpeth had five steals, three rebounds and an assist.
Altavista evened its record at 2-2 with a 62-28 thrashing of Randolph-Henry the next day.
The team's full-court defense forced several turnovers early in the game and helped Altavista to a 24-5 first quarter advantage.
"I was pleased with our effort and our balanced scoring. We had all nine players score in this game," Spencer said. "We were able to score in transition and mixed in some outside shooting, including six 3-point field goals. We played unselfishly all night with a season-high 18 assists. We started the game well and we played hard throughout the night, and that is the type of effort we are looking for. We shot well from the field, shooting 45 percent and then a season-high 71 percent from the line."
Dews scored 17 points to lead Altavista. She had four steals and three rebounds.
Morris had nine points, to go along with four rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while Lee scored nine points and had three assists and two rebounds.
Kalia Donigan contributed seven points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals; Wilson had seven points, two steals, two rebounds and two assists; Kayla Donigan had five points and two rebounds; Chelsea Robinson had four points and six rebounds; Hedgpeth had two points, six assists, four steals and three rebounds; and Casey Cox had two points, one assist, one rebound and a steal.
Brookville came calling Dec. 10, and the Lady Colonels were unable to swat the Bees as the team fell 33-22.
"We fell behind early in the game and had to play from behind all night," Spencer said.
Altavista was down 11-1 after the first quarter, but outscored Brookville in the second to pull within 18-12 at the break.
"We struggled scoring the basketball, but the effort and hustle on the court is there. These non-district games will help us down the road as we prepare for play in the Dogwood District," Spencer said.
Dews and Morris combined for 16 points to lead the Lady Colonels. Morris added nine rebounds, while Dews came away with two steals.
Kalia Donigan had three points and two rebounds; Kayla Donigan had three points and four rebounds; Robinson had four rebounds; Hedgpeth had four rebounds, two steals and one assist; and Wilson had four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
The Lady Colonels lost their fourth game of the season 45-29 at the hands of Jefferson Forest on Dec. 12.
Jefferson Forest opened the first quarter with a 10-4 start and in the second quarter put together a 10-2 run to lead 20-6 at the half.
"We have to be ready to play when the game/quarter starts. You can't spot a good team a double-digit lead and expect to come back on them," Spencer said. "JF did a good job on the board and they got second and third shots, while we didn't. We have to find a way to be more disciplined and efficient on offense and make the most of our opportunities from the free-throw line."
Lee led the charge with 10 points and five steals. Dews added six points, four steals, four rebounds and two assists; Morris had six points and five rebounds; Hedgpeth had two points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists; Kalia Donigan had two points and two rebounds; and Kayla Donigan had two points, five rebounds, one steal and one assist.
On Dec. 14, the Lady Colonels played their final stretch of regular season games, as they handed Randolph-Henry a 44-33 loss.
The win sparked a three-game win streak for Altavista.
"We once again had balanced scoring, with all nine players scoring. I thought we played a very good second half. We were able to get out and run in transition," Spencer said. "We forced turnovers and did a better job defensively and on the boards. We were able to control the ball and clock at the end and made some free throws to secure the win. We didn't start the game well, but we made some adjustments and finished strong."
Morris led the Lady Colonels with 10 points and two blocks. Dews had eight points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal; Kalia Donigan had seven points and five rebounds; Lee had six points, five steals and two assists; Robinson had four points, five rebounds and three steals; Kayla Donigan had four points, five rebounds and two steals; Wilson had two points, four steals, one assist and one rebound; Hedgpeth had two points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist; and Cox had one point.
Altavista opened up its campaign to repeat as Dogwood District champions with a 71-66 thriller over Gretna.
The Dec. 16 fast-paced game with a lot of excitement showcased two teams, who played a hard competitive game.
"I thought we played pretty consistently throughout the game except for the third quarter when we got outscored 21-10," Spencer said. "I thought we did a good job of recognizing what was working for us and sticking with it, instead of forcing something else. I thought our kids played unselfishly and played well as a team. We shot better from the free-throw line than we had in previous games. It is good to win that first district game, especially when you are playing on the road."
Morris had a career-high night in both the points and rebound departments. The sophomore forward had 34 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.
Kayla Donigan scored 10 points and had nine rebounds and five assists; Lee had seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals; Dews had six points, four assists, one rebound and one steal; Robinson had five points and four rebounds; Kalia Donigan had four points, two rebounds, one steal and one block; and Wilson had three points, two steals and two rebounds.
Altavista hosted William Campbell Dec. 20 and won its second Dogwood District game in dominating fashion 58-23. Stats were unable at press time.
The Lady Colonels are off until their Jan. 3 game at home against Chatham at 5:30 p.m.