In their attempt to surpass the .500 mark heading into the sixth game of the season, against Delmarva Christian, with a winning record, the Indian River varsity girls’ basketball team lost 52-51 to Nandua. It was a nail-biter despite the team valiantly erasing a 15-point second-half lead. 
Coastal Point • RUSLANA LAMBERT
Lizzy Handy drives into the paint against Nandua.
Indian River started the game strong – something head coach Summer Chorman said her team traditionally hadn’t done, and trailed Nandua by only one point (23-22 Nandua) heading into the second half after leading by three (14-11 IR) after the first quarter.
Nandua created some separation in the third quarter by shooting 62 percent from the floor on 10-16 shooting to take a 13-point lead, but soon found themselves in foul trouble. The Lady Indians scrapped their way back into the game by shooting well from the free-throw line, sharing the ball and making timely shots.
Nandua starting center Shera Ames (2-14 FG, four points and seven rebounds) fouled out early in the fourth quarter, and Indian River found themselves in the bonus, shooting one-and-one from the free-throw line.
Lady Indians senior guard Rayce Rayne finished with 12 points and converted five of six fourth-quarter free-throws while scoring eight of her 12 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore forward Brandi Buchanan (7 points) converted two of three free throws in the fourth quarter while also pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Junior guard Marnisha Mitchell led with a team-high in points (20) and assists (4). She connected with Rayne and Buchanan to trim Nandua’s lead from five and then three points with less than three minutes left in the game. Mitchell was one of five Lady Indians players who recorded assists in the losing effort.
The Lady Indians were without senior forward Michelle Givans, due to injury, and were limited to an eight-player rotation. Nandua thrived running the court and was very successful scoring in transition, which Chorman mentioned wore down her players.
“We were tired at the beginning of the third quarter, and when we get tired we get frustrated,” she said. “And when you’re playing an athletic team like Nandua you can’t try to run up and down with them.”
Nandua tried to put the Lady Indians away by pressing them, but the combination of Mitchell, Rayne and sophomore Lizzy Handy was able to break the press to give the team a chance to win.
“To break a 12-point deficit was impressive,” Chorman said. “We’d gotten our wind back and they played two full minutes of hard ball. I thought they played really excellent in a total team effort.”
Coastal Point • RUSLANA LAMBERT
Right, Marnisha Mitchell sets up against Nandua defenders.
Indian River will travel to play Laurel tonight at 6 p.m. before heading into an 11-day holiday break. The Lady Indians will return from that break and host Delmar on Jan. 3.