CHAPEL HILL — The Forrest Lady Rockets used a strategy of stopping the inside game of the Community Viqueens, but the Viqueens could not be stopped from the outside as Community connected on 12 treys en route to a 69-42 win over the Lady Rockets in a District 7-AA basketball game Friday night.

The win clinched first place for the Viqueens in the regular season district standings.

Community (19-5, 5-0) wasted little time getting the upper hand in the opening quarter.  Zoey Dixon connected on a three-pointer just 17 seconds into the game as the Viqueens scored the first 10 points of the contest. 

Macyn Kirby kept Forrest (8-14, 3-2) close with all 10 Lady Rocket points, but the Viqueens stayed hot with five treys, including three by Haley Mitchell as Community took a 21-10 lead to the second quarter.

The shots kept coming for the Viqueens in the quarter. 

Anna Haskins nailed two three-pointers and Mitchell had five points as Community added four more treys. 

The Lady Rockets managed nine points, but Forrest could not stop the Viqueen momentum late as Community scored the last eight points to take a 41-19 lead into the intermission.

"We came out and shot the ball well and that really helps your defense and helps your offense obviously," Coach Cody Pierce of the Viqueens said.

"When you shoot well, it helps everything out," Pierce added.

Kinslee Inlow led the Lady Rockets with five points in the third quarter, but the Viqueens kept up the pressure. 

Mitchell had five points as the Viqueens added three more treys and took a 56-28 lead to the final quarter.

Inlow added five points for Forrest in the fourth quarter as the Lady Rockets had their best offensive output with 14 points. 

Mitchell led the Viqueens with six points as Community closed with the district win.

Coach Hal Murrell of the Lady Rockets discussed the strategy of stopping the Viqueen offense.

"They only hit four 3s the first time we played them," Murrell said.

"They are so physical that we have a hard time guarding them in man-to-man," Murrell added. "So we felt like we needed to go zone."

"We are going to have to hope at that point in time that they start cooling off a little bit at the arc. Unfortunately, they didn't," Murrell said. 

Mitchell had five treys and led three Viqueens in double figures with 25 points.  Haskins and M.J. Simmons each added 11 points.

Kirby had 14 points and Inlow netted 10 to lead the Lady Rockets.

The Viqueens were 11-of-16 at the free throw line while Forrest was 3-of-5.

"Everybody on the court's a threat to score and we're willing to stay patient and take whatever they give us," Pierce said.

The Viqueens took care of the basketball the entire game.

"I think we had one or two, maybe three turnovers," Pierce said. "Really good job of taking care of the basketball."

"Coming up soon, you've got to take care of the basketball to give yourself a chance to win every game," Pierce added.

"I thought Macyn Kirby did a great job with people hanging all over her," Murrell said. "She still finds a way to get eight rebounds."

"Kinslee Inlow got in foul trouble with two fouls in the first two minutes of the game," Murrell added. "We struggle to score right now outside of those two." 

"If we can get ourselves back to the championship game like we did last year, you only have to beat them one time and hopefully we understand now how much better we're going to have to play to beat them," Murrell said.

Community travels to Central Magnet and Forrest visits Fayetteville Tuesday night for non-district games. 

Both contests begin at 6 p.m.                                                                         

Community   21  20  15  13 — 69

Forrest          10    9    9  14 — 42

Community: Haley Mitchell 25, M.J. Simmons 11, Zoey Dixon 6, Addison Brothers 6, Shelby Cawthon 2, Anna Haskins 11, Stevie Dickenson 3, Kathryn Sego 3, Raegan Haley 2, Jacey Collier, Izzy Martinez, Jayla Mangrum, Annie Prince.

Forrest: Macyn Kirby 14, Kinslee Inlow 10, Carli Warner 8, Megan Mealer 2, Kaylin Pope, Josie Brown 6, Adi Howes 2, Samantha Hopkins, Sadie Smith, Anna Rabun, Sienna Borba.

3-Point goals: Community (12): Mitchell 5, Haskins 3, Dixon 2, Brothers 2; Forrest (5): Inlow 2, Brown 2, Kirby.

Halftime score: Community 41, Forrest 19.