Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s girls’ basketball team had a successful week against Tidewater Conference of Independent School foes, and Friday night’s 54-20 victory over host Hampton Roads Academy represented the first official conference game of the season.

Lady Saints coach Kim Aston noted her team came out slow in the first half due to the type of defense the Lady Navigators were using.

“It was the first time we’d seen a triangle and two this season,” she said. “Tonight, they came out and they played against Harper (Birdsong) and Caroline (Hogg).”

Though the final score reveals a blowout, NSA led by only 10 points at halftime, 18-8.

“Once we kind of figured out how to attack their defense, we were fine,” Aston said.

Part of this attack involved having the other three Lady Saints on the court take advantage of opportunities for open shots as they operated against a zone defense, different from the special attention Birdsong and Hogg were receiving.

Aston acknowledged how opposing teams try to take junior point guard Harper Birdsong out of the game and that it has a significant effect on the Lady Saints’ offense.

“It changes the flow of the game, and we’ve just got to get better at adapting to that,” she said.

Birdsong finished with 10 points, shooting 3-for-11 from the field, with five steals, three rebounds and three assists.

“Caroline still ended up scoring points and could have had a lot more,” Aston said.

Junior center Caroline Hogg finished with a game-high 18 points on 9-for-19 shooting, with 12 rebounds, including eight off the offensive glass, and four blocked shots.

Aston said sophomore guard Lindsay Knierbein played well, making a difference immediately upon entering the game. She finished with eight points, five rebounds and a steal.

“Lindsay makes things happen defensively,” her coach said, later adding Knierbein also has one of the team’s higher shooting percentages from the floor.

Sophomore forward Kelly Hogan was in foul trouble in the first half, spending most of it on the bench, but she was effective in the second half and finished with nine rebounds and six points.

“Sarah Higinbotham rebounded the ball really well,” Aston said, and the senior guard also contributed five steals and four assists.

Sophomore guard Logan Harrell chipped in seven boards as the Lady Saints out-rebounded HRA 44-24.

Though Tuesday’s game did not count on Nansemond-Suffolk’s conference record, the Lady Saints recorded a 39-31 win against host Cape Henry Collegiate School.

“I thought, defensively, we did a pretty nice job against them,” Aston said. Offensively, “We never really got into a great rhythm, but we always had about a 10-point lead.”

Though she has expected Cape Henry to be one of the best teams in the TCIS this season, the coach said she never felt like the Lady Dolphins made a run in Tuesday’s game.

Birdsong endured a lot of defensive pressure and finished with 12 points, while Hogg also produced 12.

“Probably the weakest part of Caroline’s game, for her size, is her rebounding, but she has been rebounding better this year,” Aston said.

Hogg finished with nine boards and added nine blocks, revealing how her timing with blocking is probably one of the strongest parts of her game.

“She had a couple blocks that were pretty incredible, crowd going crazy,” Aston said, highlighting a three-point shot Hogg re-directed into the bleachers.

Hogan established herself as a reliable third option on offense, with nine points, and Aston said she is, by far, the strongest girl on the team, physically, and the best rebounder. She recorded 15 boards, seven on offense.

Nansemond-Suffolk (10-2, 1-0) hosts Norfolk Collegiate School on Tuesday.