A strong defenisive showing in the third quarter Thursday afternoon gave Hobbton Middle’s young Lady Wildcats a 35-15 win over Union Middle.

It was, said Hobbton coach Parenza Best, a solid game for his girls, one in which everyone was given an opportunity to play.

“Our offense is finally getting there, Best pointed out, but it remains our strong defensive showing that allows us to win games.”

The game was neck-and-neck in the first quarter, with Hobbton finally pulling ahead to end the first frame up 7-6. The young Wildcat girls were able to put a little more distance between themselves and the Lady Spartans before the half, taking an 18-12 lead into the break.

But it was the third quarter which really clicked for Hobbton, Best said.

“We played very strong defense in the third quarter and we didn’t turn the ball over. That was key.”

Nina Devane led scoring for Hobbton Middle with 15 points. Also scoring were McKenzie Williams, 7; Ashley Hinterlinter, 6; and Desiree Lamb, 7.

Hobbton’s record moves to 5-4. They face the undefeated Sampson Middle Lady Horses next Thursday.

Best said his team could battle with Sampson if they put their minds to it. The young Wildcat girls lost to Sampson in their first outing.

“We’ve got to be ready, we’ve got to eliminate so many turnovers. We had a lot of them last time we met and that hurt us. And, we’ve got to play strong defense. If we can do all those things, we might pull an upset. I know we can do it if we just put our minds to it,” Best said.