Columbia’s Lady Capitals jumped out to a 21-4 first quarter lead and never looked back Friday, December 16 rumbling to a 64-28 victory over the Richland Northeast Lady Cavaliers in a crosstown matchup at Columbia High School.

The Capitals of head coach Bobby Young move to 5-1 on the season and posted three players in double figures. Norrisha Victrum led all scorers with 19 points followed by Alexis Foulks with 16, and Dorothy Brown with 14. Richland Northeast fell to 2-6 overall and was led by playmaking junior guard Sherees Rose with 15 points.

The Lady Cavaliers welcomed post players Aubria Myers and Diamond Byous back to the lineup Friday night, but it would not be enough against the Lady Capitals athleticism and pressure defense.

“They are very good. They are always good,” Richland Northeast coach Scott Nelson said after the game. “They pressure you and get in your face on defense. We are weak sometimes on guard play and ball handling. We don’t penetrate well, which is the answer to breaking the press.”

Columbia’s defense forced Northeast out to the perimeter for most of the night, gambling that Northeast’s perimeter shooting would not be enough to carry the day.

“That is our strength —those outside scorers,” Nelson said. “Sydney Reed had six threes the other night. Sherees Rose had 35 the other night. We are not dominant in the post. We get frustrated sometimes, and our outside shooters think they have to do it or it won’t get done. They are not selfish in any way, but we have to learn where to draw the line.”

Rose had two 3-pointers among her 15 points in this game, and Reed also had two threes among her eight points.

The Cavaliers will be at a tournament in Charleston from December 27-29 and return to Columbia to begin region play in the first week of January.