The Mathews High School girls’ basketball teams entered Christmas break on a strong note, with varsity and junior varsity wins over the visiting Middlesex Chargers on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

The Lady Devils will try to keep the momentum going today as they enter a pair of holiday tournaments. The MHS varsity team will travel to Lafayette High School today for a 2 p.m. showdown with Thomas Jefferson in the first round of the Lafayette Holiday Tournament. The winners play at 6 p.m. Friday against either Essex or the host Rams. The losers play at 2 p.m. Friday. The JV Devils, meanwhile, travel to West Point today for a two-day tournament themselves, with games at noon and 2 p.m. .

In the Dec. 18 contest against the visiting Chargers, the Lady Devils improved to 5-2 on the season with a strong second half. The two teams played close through two quarters, with Mathews holding a narrow 18-17 halftime lead, extending the margin to 48-39 by the final buzzer.

The Devils played a zone defense...