LAKE HUNTINGTON — After not having a home game for three weeks, the Lady Bulldogs returned home to take on Walton in a non-league crossover matchup with the Section IV opponent. After a back and forth first half, Sullivan West’s shooters were able to take over as the Lady Bulldogs coasted to a 52-35 victory.

Grace Walley, a freshman starter for Walton, got off to a hot start on both ends of the court, giving the Sullivan West girls trouble from the opening tip. The two teams battled back and forth throughout the quarter, but Walley’s six-point first quarter helped Walton earn an 11-9 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Walton’s scoring came in bunches in the first quarter, starting on a 7-2 run and then ending on a 4-0 run after giving up the lead to SW.

Throughout the first half of the second quarter, Walton managed to keep the Lady Bulldogs at bay, extending their lead to as many as four points in the quarter. The Lady Bulldogs patiently waited and took their opportunity when trailing 18-15. Sullivan West, led by Ella Herbert in the second quarter, sparked a 13-6 run to take a four point lead into the break. Herbert netted 13 of her game-high 15 points in the second quarter as Sullivan West took a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

By halftime, Walley had scored 11 of her team-high 13 points, and the Lady Bulldogs knew they needed to make an adjustment for the second half.

“Number 24 is a heck of a player,” Sullivan West Coach Pat Donovan said after the game. “We knew she was their go-to.”

Sullivan West did a great job of adjusting during the break, leading to a 12-7 third quarter and allowing no points to Walley in the third as the Lady Bulldogs increased their lead to nine heading into the final frame.

With a 40-31 lead, and the momentum firmly in their favor, Sullivan West continued to build, starting the fourth with a 5-0 run and conceding just four points to Walton in the entire quarter as they raced on to a 52-35 final.

“Walton is a disciplined, well-oiled machine and we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Donovan said after the win. “Ella played great in the second quarter, but they adjusted to her well.”

He continued, “We were able to adjust on the fly in the second half, and our defense played well as our shots started to fall. We outscored them 24-11 in the second half and went 8-13 from the free throw line.”

Sullivan West was led by Ella Herbert with 15 points, Nicole Reeves with 13, Abby Parucki with 10 and Karlee Diehl with nine.

They were on the road last night against Port Jervis and will be back home Tuesday as they host Liberty.