FAIRMONT -- There wasn't a whole lot left to say for East Fairmont coach Bill Malone after his team's 61-34 victory against Robert C. Byrd.
It was one of those games.
The Bees backcourt shot over the Eagles' 2-3 zone, and just when Robert C. Byrd seemed to account for the hot-shooting guards, the interior took over.
In a four-minute span East Fairmont turned a close game into a rout. Trailing 7-4 midway through the first quarter, the Bees (10-6) ended the period on a 19-2 run.
Playing without leading scorer Asher Zaccagnini, East Fairmont got 32 points from its starting guards. Ann Marie Murray scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Erin Hadox followed with 14.
"I thought at first, we were standing around too much instead of attacking, then we started getting some good looks," Malone said. "Ann Marie hit some big shots for us and that really opened up the inside.
"We played hard, we played relatively smart and we seemed to make good passes."
Behind the 3-point line, the Bees connected on 5 of 10 attempts.
The East Fairmont starters committed just six turnovers, while forcing the Eagles into 26. Murray finished with a game-high five steals, and at halftime, Robert C. Byrd (1-12) had attempted just 17 shots, falling behind 41-15.
"It just seemed like all of the sudden (East Fairmont) realized we were staying close with them and then they all started hitting shots," Robert C. Byrd coach John Rogers said. "Ann Marie Murray looked like an NBA superstar out there.
"We tried to get into a running game with them and before you know it, we go from having a little lead to being down by 20 points."
Amber Royster added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds for East Fairmont, and teammate Alisha Vincent added 11 points.
Junior Keisha Bowsman led the Eagles with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting, but the rest of the team combined for an 8-of-30 effort (26.7 percent).
Sports writer Mike Nutter can be reached at 626-1444 or by e-mail at mnutter@exponent-telegram.com
