NEWNAN – The LaGrange Lady Grangers took control early, and while they were unable to put the game out of reach, they ended up capturing a 49-40 victory in their season opener on Monday at Newnan.

Sophomore Aryan Dozier, coming off her 21-point performance in a preseason game against Central-Carroll last week, led LaGrange with 20 points against Newnan.

Chnariea Strozier added 13 points, and Shania Woodard scored nine points.

LaGrange led 13-5 after the first quarter, and by the half the lead was up to 29-15.

In the third period, the Lady Grangers watched their lead shrink to 38-33, but they were able to hold the Lady Cougars at bay in the final quarter.

“We had the lead most of the game. At one point, we almost had a 20-point lead,” LaGrange head coach Jan Fendley said. “We forced some bad shots, we weren’t very disciplined as far as running plays, and containing the ball. And that’ll come. When you’ve got young kids, like we do, that part will come.”

Fendley said in the second half, the team could have done a better job of playing with the lead.

“We helped them a little bit get back in it,” Fendley said. “Whereas, we could have had a little bit better ball control, and we could have run away with it right there at the end. Instead, we keep shooting, and we give them a chance to get in it there at the end. And that’s what young girls do.”

LaGrange’s two leading scorers against Newnan, Dozier and Strozier, are both sophomores, and they were key parts of a taem that finished second in the Region 1-AAAAA tournament last season.

“That whole group, they’re just young,” Fendley said. “If we can get them to settle down, and just kind of just execute on a couple of things, we’ll be fine.”

LaGrange will look to make it two in a row when it visits Mundy’s Mill today.

Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports