Catawba Ridge Victoria Jordan goes in for a lay-up during the opening part of the 4A playoff game at Greenville.

GREENVILLE – With an inside game that would make any coach proud and the ability to drain 3-pointers at will, the Greenville Red Raiders girls’ basketball team dismantled the Catawba Ridge Copperheads in the opening round of the 4A state playoffs.

Catawba Ridge fell 73-35 as Greenville easily pulled away in the second half from the Copperheads, who struggled to keep pace. Greenville hit 11 3-pointers in the game and constantly went inside to their 6’4” sophomore J’Adore Young, who scored 16 points to lead the Red Raiders.

“Our biggest concern was playing them at home and knowing they had high caliber shooters,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Kate Edwards. “I am proud of them. They never stopped fighting. We will build on this.”

The Copperheads were led by Victoria Jordan and Morgan Davis, both of which scored 10 points each. Jordan left the game with about two minutes left in the third quarter feeling ill and missed the fourth quarter, but by then the game was already well in the hands of Greenville.

The two teams played each other close in the first quarter as Greenville took a slight 13-10 lead after the first eight minutes. The second quarter is when the Red Raiders started to pull away hitting short inside jumpers as they went on a 9-0 run at one point with three consecutive 3-pointers.

Down 32-19 at the half, Catawba Ridge struggled coming out of the locker room and missed their first seven shots as Greenville opened the third quarter on a 13-0 run. The Red Raiders hit four 3-pointers in the third quarter and took a 50-26 lead after three quarters of play.

The Copperheads hit just six second half shots altogether and put up no inside pressure against Greenville’s taller inside players.

Catawba Ridge finished the season at 14-3, and despite being a young team made the playoffs in their first two years as a program.

Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep

Catawba Ridge’s Morgan Davis dribbles down the court during the Copperheads’ first round game at Greenville Saturday.