The success of the varsity basketball lady Scots hasn’t exactly been a closely-guarded secret over the past two seasons. After winning their first conference championship in 30 years last season en route to a deep postseason run, the lady Scots have been on the warpath yet again in 2012, rolling to a 6-0 start.

But what has flown under the radar, however, is the success of the JV lady Scots, who have been every bit as dominant as their varsity counterparts to begin the 2012-13 season. Scotland’s JV girls have also jumped out to a perfect 6-0 start as well, joining the JV boys in having an unblemished record to end the calendar year.

“My girls see how well the varsity team is playing and it motivates them to do well too,” said lady Scots JV coach Linda Crosland, who is currently in her fifth season leading the team. Two seasons ago Crosland’s squad went undefeated and won a conference championship, but the 2011-12 campaign was her worst season as coach to date, as the JV lady Scots only won five games.

This year’s squad has already surpassed that win tally.

“Everything is coming together just fine this season, and what you’ve seen so far is a reflection of the hard work my players put in at every practice,” added Crosland.

The fourth game of the young season saw the JV lady Scots take on Whiteville and subsequently defeating the lady Wolfpack by a score of 51-40.

Scotland’s nine-point victory over Whiteville was their closest game of the 2012-13 season so far. In the first six games of the year, Scotland has outscored their opponents by a total of 323-190, which amounts to an opponent scoring average of just 31 points-per-game. The JV lady Scots, meanwhile, have averaged just over 53 points, indicating decisive wins in nearly every game they’ve played.

On the offensive side of the court, the JV Scots have been led by the strong shooting of guard/forward Qutina Everette (leading the team with 15 points-per-game), freshman shooting guard Ashlyn Dial (10 ppg) and point guard Jasmine Jessie (seven ppg and the team leader in assists).

But what has seemingly defined the early winning streaks of both the JV boys and varsity girls also rings true for the JV lady Scots as well. According to Crosland, team defense is the engine which drives her squad.

“Overall, we depend more on our defense than our offense,” Crosland said. “I tell them that if we play good defense that the offense will come, and we’ve remained true to that.”

Ultimately, the majority of Crosland’s JV girls will eventually make the jump to the varsity level, further bolstering an already deep lineup for coach David Johnson and the lady Scots. And that’s precisely the goal which motivates Crosland in her coaching: That is, to see her players succeed at the next level and beyond.

“Basketball is my passion, and I coach because I love it and want to see my girls be successful,” Crosland said. “Not just in high school, but at the college level too. I’d like to see some of my former players play on college teams.”