Submitted Photo

Senior Brittany Lewis hits a free throw against South Stokes Tuesday.

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DOBSON — The Lady Eagles celebrated Senior Night early, jumping on South Stokes 20-4 in the first quarter on the way to a 55-36 win.

Surry Central (16-7) improved to 9-6 in the Northwest Conference and appears to be locked in as the fourth seed for next week’s conference tournament. The Eagles look to host either Mount Airy or Winston-Salem Prep, who are just a game apart for the fifth seed.

Before Tuesday’s game, Central honored its two seniors: Courtney Hegler and Brittany Lewis.

Then when the game began, the seniors sparked the team to victory with a combined 23 points and 27 rebounds.

Coach Mandy Holt called for fullcourt pressure at the start. The Eagles created turnovers and turned them into layups in rushing to that 20-4 lead.

The Lady Sauras have a talented point guard in Kelli Mounce, but the Eagles worked to force the ball out of her hands.

Central pushed the lead to 20 in the second quarter and led 28-8 at the break.

The Eagles eased off on the pressure in the second half, but still won by 19.

Cassidy Joyner led the defense with three steals, while four others had two steals each.

Hegler, a 5-foot-8 forward, came up huge on the boards with 20 rebounds to go with 13 points, seven assists and two steals.

Lewis pitched in with 10 points and seven rebounds.

“I am so proud of my two seniors,” said Holt. “They’ve meant a lot to this program for four years.” Hegler has been on varsity all four years, and Lewis has been on varsity the past three seasons.

For the other Eagles, Sarah Bruce scored 16 points, Kristin Key six, Tess Dockery four points (and two assists) and Marlee Wilmoth one.

Joyner struggled from the field and finished with five points, but she chipped in with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Eagles finish the regular season at Winston-Salem Prep on Friday. The Lady Phoenix snapped a four-game losing streak in beating West Stokes to reach 6-9 in the Northwest.

For the offensive-minded, Central is on the verge of winning the scoring title. The Eagles have scored 806 points over 15 games, an average of 53.7 points. However, the Lady Bears, who play East Surry Friday, are just 10 points behind.