LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — At the final buzzer, the Lady Warriors of Walton had put a real whuppin’ on the Sullivan West Lady Bulldogs, as they defeated the home team girls’ varsity basketball team 43-27.

In the first frame, Sullivan West (1-4) had a narrow, one-point lead, as they outgunned the Warriors 8-7.

But then it was the start of a downhill ride, as Walton (6-0) edged the home-team hoopsters in the second period 12-9.

The Section IX Lady Bulldogs never really got off the starting blocks during the non-league matchup against their Section IV opponents on Monday, December 19, as at the close of the third frame, the Lady Warriors outpaced Sullivan West by a dominating 14 points (16-2), while in the final period, it was even up at 8-8.

The Lady Warriors served notice they were on the path to victory, as near the end of the third period, they jumped out to a 33-19 lead in the wake of a three and a steal converted into a two-pointer.

Sullivan West’s leader of the pack was Sabrina Martinez (7 points), followed by a brace of four-pointers (Anissa Bauernfiend, Kelsey Farrell, Bridget Hart).

Walton’s top gun was Olivia Harby, who in the role of Xena the Warrior Princess racked up 18 points, while Kimmie Huntress scored 12, including a trio of threes from outside the paint.

The Warriors’ Jordyn Palmatier also contributed to their win with a three-pointer.

Stats from the FTL (free-throw line): SW1/4 (25%); Walton 9/18 (50%).

Sullivan West’s coach Pat Donovan showed he is man of few words.

During the post-game interview, he summed up the battle on the boards: “We didn’t execute on offense or defense.”

Gary Backus, coach of the Lady Warriors, has been around the game of hoops for a while.

Now in his 41st season as a basketball coach, Backus has led teams at Downsville and SUNY Delhi before coming to Walton 11 years ago.

His take of the game against the Lady Bulldogs?

“Just by the score itself, you can see we finally made it to the basket,” he said, adding, “Once we get the lead, I think they know what to do with it, so far anyway.”

Reflecting upon Walton’s early-season non-league record, and looking down the road to upcoming league play, Backus said, “I think the girls have gained enough confidence that they will be competitive.”

In the final analysis, it was a wake-up call for the Lady Bulldogs; it’s time to get back to basics and focus on executing on both offense and defense.