The Charles Henderson Lady Trojans won their first two games of the Faulkner University tournament by defeating Shaves Valley 51-46 and Opelika 59-52. Both games were a dog fight but the Trojans stuck with it and were able to start the difficult tournament with a 2-0 record.

“I think the girls are enjoying the game and they are enjoying basketball,” said Trojans head coach Dyneshia Jones. “You never know who is going to score for you on any given day. If one girl struggles we have four more that can score easily.”

In the first game against Shaves Valley, the Trojans fell behind early and entered the second quarter trailing 16-9.

The Trojans answered back in the second quarter and outscored Shaves Valley 14-11 thanks in large part to India Blakely, who knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter. Shaves Valley entered the locker room at halftime with a 27-24 lead.

In the third quarter the Trojans took off. Blakely scored six more point paired with four points from Niaira Jones and Tatyana Silers to give the Trojans a 38-35 lead heading into the final quarter.

The game remained tight in the final frame but the Trojans once again outscored Shaves Valley and were able to secure the 51-46 win.

Maori Davenport led the Trojans in scoring with 16 points, while Blakely and Jones also finished in double figures with 15 and 13 points.

In game two the Trojans found themselves in another tough battle, this time with the Bulldogs of Opelika. The Bulldogs were able to run up and down the court in transition while still being able to pull up and knock down a key three pointer.

“Once they got the rebound they ran out,” Jones said. “We had to stop the layups.”

Going up against a team that can score many different ways has proven to be a challenge for the Trojans in the early going.

The Trojans jumped out to a 17-8 lead over the Bulldogs after Blakely and Jones each put up six points. The Bulldogs narrowed the gape a bit in the second quarter. The Trojans took a 31-26 lead into halftime.

The Bulldogs shrunk the deficit down to 43-40, but the Trojans led by Davenport held on and secured the win. Jones and Davenport led the Trojans in scoring with 19.

The Trojans will be back in action at 9:30 a.m. when they battle Pine Forrest.