The Ladue girls’ basketball team held off a ferocious Whitfield comeback to capture a 51-43 victory in their opening game at Whitfield High School.

Senior center Taylor Robinson was a powerful presence in the first half of the game, scoring 10 of Ladue’s 25 points in the first half to help Ladue take a solid 25-18 lead. Strong shooting in the third quarter allowed the Rams to launch an 11-3 run and take a 36-21 lead going into the fourth quarter.

However, the game wasn’t over yet. Whitfield, which played a slower game throughout the contest, switched to their full court press defense at the beginning of the fourth quarter, almost overwhelming Ladue with a barrage of steals that tightened the score to 41-35.

Ladue finally called a timeout to adjust to the intensity of the Whitfield defense, but another steal followed by a key three pointer by Whitfield junior Rae Smith made it a three point game with under two minutes to play. Smith played a strong game for Whitfield, scoring a total of nineteen points in the game. Ladue’s Robinson, who ended the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds, fouled out with a minute to play, creating an even more uncertain outcome.

However, Whitfield would come no closer to victory as seniors Nicole McNichols and Liz Greenberg teamed up to hit eight straight free throws to seal the Ladue victory. #