Eastern Hancock’s Kenzie Koch deflects a ball against Wes-Del.
Mike Brown | For the Daily Reporter
CHARLOTTESVILLE — The Eastern Hancock girls basketball team trotted out a new-look lineup in Tuesday’s season opener and had a new head coach on the bench.
Their play, however, looked just like recent Royals’ teams.
On their home court, they defeated Mid-Eastern Conference opponent Wes-Del 77-3.
“At the beginning, we just talked about being ourselves, locking in and focusing on all the little things that we need to do,” Eastern Hancock head coach Lindsey Shaw said. “As the game went on, it became us trying some things that we haven’t necessarily been able to do yet.”
Shaw, who was the team’s head coach from 2007-2011, was back on the bench, replacing former head coach Shari Doud, who retired from coaching after last season’s run to the Class 2A Final Four.
In her first game at the helm, her team picked up right where Doud’s final team left off.
The 77 points were more than the Royals scored in any game last season and the three points allowed were fewer than any game a year ago. It was the most points in a game since Jan. 14, 2023, when they scored 84 in a win over Waldron. The three points were the fewest allowed since a 59-3 win over Union Modoc on Nov. 14, 2017.
“It was really fun, and the girls make it extremely fun. That’s the nice part, coming out and having fun with them,” Shaw said of her return to the sideline. “It was a nice way to settle into the season.”
Seventeen first-quarter turnovers caused by the Royals allowed them to jump out to a 34-0 lead.
By halftime, the lead was 64-0.
The Warriors lone basket came with 7:10 in the fourth quarter on a Noelle Ernstberger 3-pointer.
Eastern Hancock’s sophomore guard duo of Kenzie Koch and Bella Sotelo fueled the Royals hot start.
Koch had 15 points, five steals and two assists in the opening quarter, while Sotelo had eight points, five rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Entering the break, Koch had pushed her point total to 23, and with 10 second-quarter points, Sotelo wasn’t far behind with 18.
Koch scored five points in the third quarter before sitting out all of the fourth, to finish, unofficially, with 28. She added seven steals and six assists.
While Koch, an all-state guard as a freshman, was the main piece that Eastern Hancock knew they had returning, around her, players thrust into new,and much bigger roles, showed what they could do.
Senior Camryn Andrus had multiple steals and finished with six points, junior Kiersten Judd was all over the offensive glass and added five points, and senior Ellie Meyer tallied four points.
Off the bench, junior Addisyn Trackwell knocked down a 3-pointer and finished with eight points, senior Lainee Parker added six points and senior Kaitlyn Lowes and sophomore Clara Wallace each sunk free throws.
“That’s the big thing, we’re really excited and I don’t think people realize what came back,” Shaw said. “It was really fun to watch those girls step into their new roles, work some of those jitters out and get us off to a good start this season.”
The Royals are back in action Thursday on their home court against Morristown beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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Eastern Hancock 77, Wes-Del 3
Wes-Del;0;0;0;3; — ;3
Eastern Hancock;34;30;9;4; —;77
Wes-Del (0-1): Taylor Williams 0-0-0, Kayla Harrold 0 0-0 0, Caroline Caward 0 0-2 0, Isabella Kehoe 0 0-0 0, Tori Ward 0 0-0 0, Kaydence Whitehead 0 0-0 0, Noelle Ernstberger 1 0-0 3. Totals: 1 0-2 3.
Eastern Hancock (1-0): Kenzie Koch 13 1-1 28, Ellie Meyer 2 0-0 4, Bella Sotelo 9 0-0 18, Camryn Andrus 3 0-0 6, Kiersten Judd 2 1-2 5, Lainee Parker 3 0-0 6, Addisyn Trackwell 2 3-4 8, Kaitlyn Lowes 0 1-2 1, Clara Wallace 0 1-2 1, Heidi Meyer 0 0-0 0, Stephanie Sotelo 0 0-0 0. Totals: 34 7-11 77.
3-point goals: Wes-Del 1 (Ernstberger); Eastern Hancock 2 (Koch, Trackwell)
