Nansemond River’s Lady Warriors played basketball for a cause larger than just their passion for the game on Thursday night at home versus Western Branch.

They hosted ‘Hooping For A Cure’ honoring those fighting breast cancer, with benefits from the game going to the Susan G. Komen Cancer Fund.

The Lady Warriors and Lady Bruins recognized fighters of breast cancer by sporting pink shoe strings socks and playing with a pink basketball. Much of the gym and cafeteria was decorated in pink, and referees even officiated with pink whistles. It was also the Lady Warrior Senior Night, honoring their two seniors, Jaymee Faggart and Amanda Jackson.

The Lady Warriors seemed like a team playing with a cause against a Western Branch team, they were supposedly overmatched against. WB took its district record to 15-1 with a 55-44 victory.

NR did not practice the entire week which head coach R. Calvin Mason Sr., would not totally blame for the loss, but thought it had an effect on their execution.

Fueled by Delisia Sharpe’s 11 points and three blocks in the first quarter, the Lady Warriors led 13-8 at the end of the first quarter. Sharpe finished the game with 28 points.

NR continued to control the tempo in the second quarter, but a turnover from Ashaunte Humphries led to two free throws from Shanese Harris with 0:07 remaining, tying the score 20-20 at the half.

“That was a momentum swing. I was trying to get them to set up to take the last shot of the half, but we didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball,” Mason said.

The Lady Bruins took lead for the rest of the game after a three-point play from Jazmyne Urquhart to start the second half.

WB applied a full court press, which upset NR’s tempo and forced NR into eight turnovers while they attempted only eight shots in the quarter.

“Their press wasn’t as effective as our lack of execution against the press, when we took our time, we beat the press, when we didn’t, we turned the ball over,” Mason said.

The Lady Bruins went on an 8-2 run to start the second half, eventually outscoring NR 21-12 in the quarter.

The Lady Warriors salvaged much of the deficit at the end of the quarter with six points from Sharpe, including a layup with 0:34 remaining, making the score 41-32 at the end of the quarter.

Briana McClain started the fourth quarter with a score via an offensive rebound to cut the lead 41-34, but that was as close as the Lady Warriors would get.

A lay-up from Jessica Smith with 6:00 remaining put WB up by double digits 45-34.

Harris provided a buzz kill for the Lady Warriors with one of her three second half three-pointers with 4:30 remaining, making the score 50-38.

The difference in the game came from fourth-quarter free throws for the Lady Warriors, who made 2-of-10 from the charity stripe in the last quarter.

The Lady Warriors (8-11, 6-9) finish their regular season with two road games. NR played at Great Bridge Friday and play at Deep Creek Monday at 7:30 p.m.

NR has clinched a spot in the eight-school Southeastern District Tournament, but could still improve its seed in an attempt to avoid Western Branch or first-place Indian River (16-0 in the district) in the quarterfinal round.