NATCHEZ — An offensive and defensive balance, along with tip-top conditioning proved a valuable combination for the Robert Lewis Middle School girls basketball team this season.

The Lady Bulldogs finished the season with an impressive 18-0 record and a district championship. Head coach Willie Woods said his team had a great blend of offense and defense.

“We were an offensive team with a lot of emphasis on defense,” Woods said.

Along with the great style of play, the lady Bulldogs had great work ethic and conditioning, Woods said.

“We were in top shape, condition-wise. We worked hard,” Woods said. “When we came to practice, it was business.”

Woods also said sportsmanship was another strong characteristic of this year’s team. The Lady Bulldogs never ran up the score on their opponents when given the opportunity, he said.

“Anytime we took a lead, we played our younger girls,” Woods said.

This season was not what Woods expected at all in terms of just how good his girls would be.

“When the season began, I knew we’d be good, but I didn’t think we’d run the table,” Woods said.

Despite a perfect record and a district championship, it was not Woods’ eighth grade starters that stood out the most, but rather, his younger players.

“The sixth graders really surprised me with how well they played,” Woods said. “ (The eighth graders have) been with me for three years.”

Eighth grader Rashonae Rice, who has now moved up to the varsity team to participate in their season, led the Robert Lewis Middle School Lady Bulldogs with approximately 15 points a game. Woods said Rice was one of those players that just has it all.

“Rice, she can rebound, dribble, play defense and handle the ball,” Woods said. “She’s a great ball handler. When teams would try to press us she would bring the ball up the court. She was very effective.”

Rice played forward, center and sometimes point guard for the Lady Bulldogs.

Taylor Argue and Tajchanea Thornburg were the other dominant pieces to the undefeated puzzle.

“Taylor Argue was a great three-point shooter, so was Thornburg. Thornburg was also really good at handling the ball,” Woods said.

To end their miraculous 18-0 season, The Lady Bulldogs won a tournament in Ferriday toward the end of the season.

“We trailed for three quarters and then we won it in the fourth,” Woods said.

For a team that saw a lot of their younger players on the court throughout the season, their starters could still play a competitive game for four quarters.

“That’s why we did all that conditioning,” Woods said.