WENDELL - As happy as coach Toni Vick was after her East Wake women’s basketball team crushed Harnett Central on Friday, she was even more delighted to see her team shut down the Lady Trojans’ offense.

That’s because the Lady Warriors put a damper on Harnett and won the game 56-23 to log their third conference win of the season.

East Wake struck first when point guard Daisha Thorpe scored a quick 2 points, and the Warriors never looked back. They surged to a 5-point lead when Shakerrya Morrison was fouled on a scoring drive and sank a free throw to convert her score into a 3-point play.

East Wake’s Tianna Knuckles contributed one of several 3-point shots, and by the end of the first quarter, East Wake had a commanding 23-8 lead over the Trojans.

It was the Warriors’ game to lose, and they did not ease up on the pressure. By halftime East Wake held a 21-point lead.

A fourth-quarter dispute between the officials and Harnett Central coach Bennie Pollock over Pollock’s request for a time out resulted in a technical foul.

East Wake’s Cierra Williams sank one of two shots, but the one miss was hardly felt as the Warriors played hard-nosed defense and preventing the Trojans from seeing any good shots for the rest of the game.

East Wake sophomore forward Brianna Archibald, taking her team’s defensive strategy to heart, fouled out with nearly five minutes left in the game.

While Vick warned against foul trouble she appreciated her players’ aggressive attitude down the stretch.

“I loved the defense,” Vick said. “I feel like my players are taking more pride in their defense, and they are playing hard and aggressively.”

The Warriors’ strategy is always to hold their opponents to under 40 points, and in the past three games, they have accomplished this goal.

East Wake held Knightdale to 38 points on Dec. 9 and held Garner to 39 points on Dec. 13.

Knuckles, who was the game’s high scorer with 18 points, pledges to keep up the hard work. She is working on improving her hustle and endurance.

“I have been practicing three-point shots since middle school,” she said. “But I think I can do more. Our team goal is to make it to the state championships.”

Morrison added 11 points in the Warrior win.