GIRLS: Apex Friendship wins Wonderland opener over North Pitt

CARY -- In the first game of The John Wall Holiday Invitational’s Wonderland Bracket, Apex Friendship took over in the second quarter and withstood a North Pitt rally to win, 66-56. North Pitt had a 13-10 advantage after the first, but Apex Friendship exploded in the second. A three-point play from Victoria Sagne triggered an 8-0 run for the Patriots to start the frame, and Marlee Beam later hit a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws late in the second to give the team a 31-17 advantage. Apex Friendship went into the locker room ahead, 33-19. Apex Friendship started the third quarter with 3-pointers from Beam and Kaitlin Littlejohn, but North Pitt started clawing back. The Panthers’ Zamareya Jones connected on multiple drives and added a pair of assists. When Jones found Tanisia Jenkins inside with 4:25 remaining, North Pitt had whittled a 19-point deficit to 50-45. The Patriots responded with a 9-0 run, including a 3-point play from Jasmine Nivar and never looked back. Littlejohn scored a team-high 22 points for Apex Friendship while Nivar added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

For North Pitt, Jones had 25 points, seven assists and four steals with Jenkins adding 10 points and eight rebounds.