Lady Leopard Tiesha Rich tries to score against Midway defenders Elizabeth McCullen and Jada Cannady. (Danny McDowell/Sampson Independent)

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Midway Senior Tess Williams looks for a teammate as Lakewood's Tasha Rich defends. (Danny McDowell/Sampson Independent)

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The game between the visiting Lakewood Lady Leopards and the Midway Lady Raiders was not expected to be a close game Friday night. And it wasn’t. The high-flying Lady Leopards raced past Midway 66-35 to pick up their 19th win on the season against only one loss.

Lakewood scored first and led 8-6 midway through the opening period. The visitors then proceeded to shut down the Raider girls the rest of the quarter for a 13-6 lead. Lakewood senior Tiesha Rich caught fire in the second frame and led her team to a 34-17 margin at intermission.

The home team was never able to cut into the lead and they saw the deficit grow to 29 points after three quarters at 52-23. Tess Williams knocked down 7 points in the final period for the Lady Raiders, but they fell way short with a 31-point loss.

Tiesha Rich finished with 20 points to lead the Lady Leopards. Brittany Boykin and Bianca Moore posted 9 a piece. Tasha Rich and Rashyda Parker scored 8 each. Jache Servance added 4, while Kiera Rich dropped in 3. Jakyra Braxton and Deja Owens had 2 a piece. Swazay Marable added a free throw.

For the Lady Raiders, Tess Williams was the top scorer with 11 points. Amber Poole scored 8. Jada Cannady scored 5. Jennifer Blackmon was held to 4, after a 28 point outburst at Wallace-Rose Hill. Freshman Brianna Butler also connected for 4, while Elizabeth McCullen knocked down 2 free throws. Kaitlyn Jackson added 1 from the charity stripe.

“I thought played everybody well,” declared Lakewood coach Lofton Kerr. “I was kind of upset about our defense during part of the game, but they kind of stepped it up. Tiesha Rich had a good game. She (Midway coach Honeycutt) put in a box, but Tiesha was still able to score. We’re just trying to get ready for the playoffs and looking ahead to the tournament. Any time you come to Midway and get a win like this, you’re doing fine.”

Lakewood, 19-1 overall and 11-0 in the Tri-County Conference, will host 2nd place James Kenan on Tuesday. The Lady Raiders, 4-15 and 3-8, will entertain Pender Tuesday night.