The Mathews High School jayvee girls’ basketball team started its 2013/14 campaign on the right foot Monday night with a 23-17 victory over the Northumberland Lady Indians.

This year’s team, led by first-year head coach Dan Wood, consists of tenth grader Micalea Sadler, ninth graders Kenzie Tunstall, Casey Kelly, Alexis Wells and Lexie Miles, and eighth graders Katherine Respess, Yolanda Fells, Rileigh Betz, Emily Carmine, Addi Boyer, Jolie Ewell and Belle Massimino.

Spurred on by a defense termed “chaos,”  an up-tempo, all-the-time full-court press defense that resulted in a game total of 20 steals, the Lady Devils thwarted all Lady Indian offensive efforts in the first half and took a 14-2 lead into intermission.

The Lady Indians fought back courageously in the second half but ultimately fell short when shooting guard Miles put in the final dagger with a three-pointer from the bottom corner with 30 seconds to p...