EMORY, Va. – They battled on the boards, traded baskets and played with unabashed intensity.

Patrick Henry’s Cadence Wilmoth and George Wythe’s Kristen Atwell left little doubt why they are two of the best post players in Southwest Virginia on Friday night.

It was Wilmoth and PH that collected a 47-38 Hogoheegee District girls basketball victory and it wasn’t easy.

The individual showdown between Wilmoth and Atwell could be classified as a draw as each player scored 24 points. However, Wilmoth scored 13 of her points in the second half as Patrick Henry (17-3) used a second-half flurry to pull away.

Wilmoth and Atwell are actually AAU teammates and pals, but one couldn’t tell by the way they jockeyed for position on the low block.

“It’s very physical when we play against each other,” Wilmoth said. “We’re friends off the court, but not on the court.”

It appeared Atwell would have bragging rights as George Wythe raced out to an 18-5 lead to start the game. The Maroons led 23-21 at halftime.

The opening surge by the Maroons and the deficit his team faced didn’t bother Patrick Henry coach Tommy Thomas.

“I knew our experience would come through,” Thomas said. “Not saying I knew we’d win the game. I knew we’d start playing better.”

A jumpshot by Patrick Henry’s Kasey Uecker, her first points of the night, gave the Rebels the lead for good at 29-27 with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. It ignited a 15-3 run that clinched the victory.

It was a tough sequence for George Wythe coach Bradley Sutphin to endure as his team had the Rebels on the ropes for the second time this season. The Maroons suffered a 48-43 setback to PH on Jan. 10 in Wytheville.

“They’re experienced,” Sutphin said. “They’re not the [defending VHSL Group A, Division 2] runner-up for nothing, I will say that. They’re a good ballclub. We just killed ourselves in spurts. That’s all it comes down to. We couldn’t get out of our own way sometimes.”

As George Wythe’s turnovers piled up in the fourth quarter so did the Maroons’ deficit.

“We’d turn it over in spurts and against good teams you can’t turn it over in spurts,” Sutphin said.

Along with Atwell’s 24 points, Carrie Lynn Wolford added 10 points for the Maroons. Thomas was impressed with Atwell’s skillset.

“She’s very strong,” Thomas said. “I talked to [Sutphin] before the game and said all our games have been close [against GW] because they do have that inside presence.”

However, it was Wilmoth that helped the Rebels earn their 16th straight win.

“She missed some shots early,” Thomas said. “But she doesn’t miss at the end.”