Tuesday’s showdown featuring the girls’ basketball teams from King’s Fork High School and Western Branch High School was a battle between two of the area’s top squads, and the host Lady Bulldogs came out on top, 67-64.

“I think, overall, we did well,” King’s Fork coach Maurice Fofana said. “We handled the ball well in the press, we applied good pressure, which we wanted to do. We were able to kind of dictate the game from start to finish.”

The Lady Bulldogs grew a small halftime lead into a double-figure advantage in the fourth quarter, but then they got into foul trouble, giving the Lady Bruins an opportunity.

“They made free throws, put them right back in the game,” Fofana said.

But the things that gave King’s Fork the edge against Western Branch, according to Fofana, are the same things that should make the Lady Bulldogs a force in Virginia this season — size and balance.

“We’re probably going to be one of the bigger teams in the state,” he said. His team also enjoys both good guards and good post play. “We kind of can do a little bit of it all.”

Fofana said his ultimate goal for the team this year is winning a state championship, and he believes it has the tools necessary to do it.

“I feel like this is probably one of my most talented teams,” he said. “We’re well-balanced.”

The Lady Bulldogs’ four primary standouts this season were the team’s leading contributors on Tuesday.

“Cydney Nichols had a breakout game,” Fofana said of his junior shooting guard, who had a quiet start to the year but recorded 24 points and six steals against the Lady Bruins.

Junior forward Amesha Miller continued her habit of producing double-doubles, registering 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Sophomore point guard Camary Harris added 11 points and six assists, and freshman shooting guard Neecole Brown added nine points.

Brown has had a remarkable start to her high school career, as she led her team in scoring during its first two wins with back-to-back 17-point performances. Though she is not a starter, she is getting a good amount of playing time coming off the bench.

King’s Fork (3-0) visits Great Bridge High School on Thursday and Lakeland High School on Friday before coming home on Saturday for the King’s Fork Basketball Showcase. During the event, the Lady Bulldogs will face I.C. Norcom High School at 4 p.m.