Once the game was underway both sides had some early struggles albeit for different reasons. TRC Academy struggled to finish at the basket and get the ball to go their way, while Durham Elite’s possessions often ended in unforced turnovers. This didn’t bode well for the Durham side because once TRC found their focus on offense they quickly opened up a 10-2 lead. Durham’s offense would follow suit shortly after, but all their baskets were followed by a TRC response. Luckily the clock was in Durham’s favor and they managed to steal a few late possessions and cut the deficit to 18-15 by the end of the 1st.

To start the second quarter TRC kept up their pressure and didn’t let the opposition gain an ounce of momentum. They quickly created some breathing room with long range shooting and active hands on the boards. After a few stolen possessions, TRC would find themselves with a 27-17 lead. Michigan University commit Hailey Brown dominated both ends of the floor for TRC in the 2nd by grabbing offensive rebounds and blocking a handful of shots. However, once she stepped off the floor Durham would charge back to tie the game behind the playmaking ability of Keishana Washington and scoring ability of Kylee O’Hara. Although TRC began to falter late in the frame, they managed to escape the quarter with a 3-point lead.

Narrowly leading by 33-30 TRC Academy looked to begin the second half with a strong effort. Similar to the start of the 2nd quarter, their aggression proved fruitful as they swiftly brought the lead back to 8-points within the first 2 minutes.  However, to TRC’s detriment they struggled to maintain the lead. Durham’s Daija Moses was the catalyst for the comeback. Her aggressive play netted her team extra possessions which her teammates didn’t hesitate to convert into points.  Durham would even take their first lead of the game at 45-44 behind a beautiful move by Oklahoma University commit Shaina Pellington.  Their lead would only grow to 5-points before TRC had an answer of their own to reclaim the lead.

In a game that had seen many shifts of momentum, the 4th quarter began with a similar situation with TRC leading by 3-points at 53-50. Durham continued to hustle offensively but their scoring touch had disappeared for a significant portion of the quarter. On the other end, TRC had their own offensive troubles but were able to get crucial scores from Arizona State commit Taya Hanson to keep Durham at bay. On the back of a handful of free throws, TRC would push their lead to as much 8-points and for the first time in the game, Durham could not break through and go on a run of their own. In the end Durham would fall to a hot TRC Academy, 68-59.

Now stringing together 4 consecutive wins, TRC Academy is sure to have their opponents taking a closer look at their schedule. Their recent run of form couldn’t have come at a better time considering that the end of the season drawing close. They’ll look to continue their hot streak on their home floor as they host Louis-Riel on February 17th, tip-off scheduled for 4pm.  Following the loss, only their 2nd of the season, Durham Elite have relinquished the top spot but are still in fairly good position relative to the rest of the field.  They continue their run of road games and will look to get back to their winning ways against Louis-Riel on February 11th, tip-off scheduled for 1pm.