Dotson hits 700 as Lady Warriors take down undefeated Gate City

by Chloe Burdette, Sports Writer
Central’s head coach Robin Dotson poses with his team to celebrate his 700th win. PHOTO BY ROBERT PRICE
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NORTON — VHSL Hall of Fame girls basketball coach Robin Dotson came into the gym on Tuesday night on the cusp of 700 wins on his career. His Lady Warriors got the job done against the formerly undefeated Lady Blue Devils, 56-44.

“Having 700 wins means I have had a lot of great players who have laid it on the line,” Dotson said. “I have been extremely blessed with talented players that buy-in and work hard.”

Central (2-1, 8-3) jumped right out of the gate and forced a heavy defense that proved to be an obstacle for Gate City. With a minute left to go in the first quarter, an Emmah McAmis and-one catapulted the Warriors to a 14-4 lead.

Shots from Makayla Bays helped pace the Lady Blue Devils (2-1, 7-1), but Central kept their foot on the gas and pushed their lead to fifteen going into halftime.

“The good start by us really helped … we played with confidence from there on out,” Dotson added.

After the break, Gate City found their groove and kept the Warriors on their toes. With 38.2 seconds to go in the third quarter, Adyson Gibson hit a long three-pointer to cut the Lady Devils’ deficit to nine — 38-29. After a foul and a perfect showing at the charity stripe from Baylie Jones, the deficit shrank to seven by the end of the third.

The fourth quarter displayed a battle from both sides of the court. With about five minutes to go, Central’s Emilee Mullins sank a three-point bucket to give her squad some breathing room from the Lady Blue Devils and changed the momentum — giving her squad the final push they needed to seal the deal.

“Coach [Dotson] knows what we can play up to, and getting this win for him is extra special,” McAmis said, who led the night with 30 points. “It was a big game for all of us, and we were glad we were able to get it done.”

In addition for Central, Madison Looney added 15 points in the win while Emilee Brickey and Abbie Jordan put up four points each.

From the Lady Blue Devils, Bays led her team with 15 while Jayden Carrico added 12.