Saks girls seeking respect
- Updated: January 7, 2015
Girls roundup: Jacksonville keeps rolling; Stephens has big night
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Saks coach Michelle Lively didn’t make a big scene when the seedings and pairings for the Calhoun County Girls Basketball Tournament were announced Sunday, but you knew it had to hurt.
Lively’s Wildcats had a winning record against an admittedly limited schedule but many still considered them worthy of top six consideration. Instead, they had to draw out of a hat, pulled the last “seed” in the 15-team field and will play second-seeded Anniston in their first tournament game.
It’s the only game in the opening round of the girls’ bracket between teams with winning records.
Can’t go back now, so going forward the Wildcats’ mission is to show the flaw in the format by the way they play. The first step on that road came in Tuesday night’s 71-57 area victory over White Plains, a team with a losing record and a much better tournament draw.
“A lot of people don’t really respect us much because I’m so young and my team last year wasn’t so great, but I think we’re the underdog,” Lively said. “I don’t think a lot of people see us play and everybody’s going to watch the bigger and better teams and my girls are trying to earn a little bit of respect.
“Everybody wanted me to be outrageously mad (about the tournament draw) and get on board with them and I’m really not upset about it. I feel like I have one of the top teams in this county so you’re gonna have to play the best to be the best, so better early than never. The girls said from day one they wanted a shot at Anniston this year; they’re just getting it a little bit earlier than they expected.”
The Wildcats (6-4) sure played like a county contender Tuesday. They seized control against White Plains with an 18-1 run that took them from a 15-11 deficit early in the second quarter to an eventual 33-20 halftime lead.
They increased the pressure to quicken the pace and they ruled the boards. Maiya Northard led four Saks scorers in double figures with 16 points. Aliyah Simmons had 14, Deja Johnson 13 and Bre Browning 11 with 10 rebounds.
“White Plains is known for doing the little things right all the time,” Lively said. “I thought my girls showed tremendous heart in beating them to the rebound and getting it. I told them we had to out-rebound them to win and that’s what happened.”
Weaver 41, Wellborn 34
Keara Scott scored 13 points and made a spectacular pass to spring Mariah Thompson for the layup that sealed the Bearcats’ come-from-behind victory.
Rayne Beck also scored 13 points for the Bearcats (4-12).
Scott and Beck combined for 13 points in the third quarter – 18 in the second half — as the Bearcats closed a six-point halftime deficit to one before pulling out in the fourth quarter.
Wellborn’s Dymond Myles led all scorers with 14 points.
Faith Christian 48, Donoho 23
Madison Stephens got shut out in the first quarter Monday night at JCA, but she wasn’t going to let it happen two games in a row.
Stephens scored 10 of her team’s 12 first-quarter points on the way to a 33-point night. She had 18 points at halftime and 29 through three quarters. She also had eight steals once the Lions’ defensive intensity kicked into gear midway through the second quarter.
Jacksonville 76, Cleburne County 31
JACKSONVILLE — The Golden Eagles had their outside shot working and enjoyed another game in which everyone got to play and no one played more than 20 minutes.
Jacksonville scored almost as many points from its 10-of-31 shooting from 3-point range as the Tigers scored in the game. It took almost as many 3s as the Tigers had total field goal attempts.
Destiny Easley led the Golden Eagles with 15 points, while Dasia Kirksey and Virginia Poe had 14 each. Poe also had six rebounds, three steals and four blocked shots. Kirksey had seven rebounds and four steals.
Sierra Stone, the sophomore post who has been on a tear of late, played 15 minutes and had six points and five rebounds.
Gadsden City 62, Anniston 46
GADSDEN – Kiyana Bullock and Raven Cooley both filled up a box score, but it wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs (12-5) to avoid defeat. Bullock had 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two assists, while Cooley had 14 points, five rebounds, two steals and two assists. Carsheuna Curry added eight points and eight boards.
Haley Group led the Titans with 18 points.
Albertville 55, Oxford 43
OXFORD – Winter Taylor scored 18 points and Ebony Kelley had a double-double, but the Yellow Jackets (7-8) couldn’t overcome two big Albertville runs to stretch the lead. Kelley had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Glencoe 57, Ohatchee 45
OHATCHEE – Morgan Lee scored 18 points and Joria Steger had 17 for the Indians (14-5).
GIRLS BOX SCORES
Saks 71, White Plains 57
WHITE PLAINS (7-10) – Rian chandler 1 0-0 2, Carley Wood 4 4-6 12, Hanna Barno 5 1-2 15, Korie Burgess 1 0-0 2, Chasity Nelson 0 1-2 1, Amber Greenwood 5 6-9 20, Grey Young 0 2-2 2, Shelby Wood 1 1-5 3, Landry Bussey 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 15-26 57.
SAKS (6-4) — Talisa Christian 0 0-2 0, Aliyah Simmons 7 0-3 14, Jordan Briskey 1 1-5 3, Ashley Chapa 0 0-0 0, Maiya Northard 6 2-4 16, Parris Glover 0 0-0 0, Miracle Dennard 1 0-0 2, TeeTee Jenkins 3 1-4 7, Bre Browning 5 1-2 11, Deja Johnson 5 1-4 13, Tayler Teague 2 0-0 5. Totals 30 6-22 71.
White Plains 12 8 18 19 — 57
Saks 10 23 21 17 — 71
3-point goals: White Plains 8 (Barno 4, Greenwood 4); Saks 5 (Northard 2, Johnson 2, Teague). Total fouls: White Plains 22, Saks 24. Fouled out: Barno, Briskey.
Weaver 41, Wellborn 34
WEAVER (4-12) — Tayanna Perry 0 0-0 0, Ciara Hardy 2 0-2 5, Keara Scott 5 2-4 13, Caleigh Cortez 1 2-4 6, Rayne Beck 5 2-5 13, Mariah Thompson 2 1-2 5. Totals 15 7-17 41.
WELLBORN (3-11) – Dymond Myles 6 1-2 14, Anaya Lowe 0 0-0 0, Markesha Jones 1 1-3 3, Carliee Mullinax 1 1-4 4, Valencia White 0 0-0 0, Caitlyn Gamble 1 1-2 3, Dynasty Myles 2 0-4 4, Chelsea Hubbard 1 4-6 6. Totals 12 8-21 34.
Weaver 5 6 16 14 — 41
Wellborn 7 10 6 11 — 34
3-point goals: Weaver 2 (Hardy, Beck); Wellborn 1 (Mullinax). Total fouls: Weaver 19, Wellborn 21. Fouled out: Thompson, Dy. Myles.
Faith Christian 48, Donoho 23
FAITH CHRISTIAN (5-13) — Emily Sills 1 1-2 3, Madison Stephens 11 9-18 33, Montana Huie 0 0-0 0, Sydney Johnston 1 0-0 2, Cornelia Simpson 0 2-5 2, Regan Crosby 0 0-0 0, Sarah Kate McVeigh 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth McCullough 1 0-2 2, Logan Boyd 1 0-0 2, Jaz Groce 1 2-4 4. Totals 16 14-31.
DONOHO (0-8) — Kirin Heathcock 0 1-7 1, Camille Fink 2 2-7 6, Anna Marie Woodfin 4 0-0 8, Pacey Dunaway 1 0-0 2, Kelsey Jackson 0 0-0 0, Libby Davis 0 0-2 0, Constance Hodges 1 2-4 4, Carley Hughes 1 0-2 2, Samantha Strunk 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 5-22 23.
Faith Christian 12 11 15 10 — 48
Donoho 6 2 10 5 — 23
3-point goals: Faith Christian 2 (Stephens 2). Total fouls: Faith Christian 17, Donoho 23. Fouled out: Fink.
Jacksonville 76, Cleburne County 31
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Alisa Norton 3-8 7-10 13, Chelsea Parker 3-6 2-6 8, Montana Mattox 2-3 0-0 4, Eryka Ware 0-5 3-7 3, Lauren Brown 1-4 0-0 2, Shauntavia Boyd 0-4 1-2 1, Alex Casey 0-2 0-2 0. Totals 9-32 13-27 31.
JACKSONVILLE (15-2) – Destiny Easley 4-9 3-4 15, Dasia Kirksey 7-8 0-0 14, Virginia Poe 4-8 3-6 14, Sierra Stone 2-3 2-2 6, Darrien Martin 2-18 0-0 5, Brandi Canady 2-2 1-2 5, Ataliya Morgan 2-6 0-0 5, Kelsey Ervin 2-2 0-0 4, Angel Kidd 1-5 1-2 4, Quenteeria Mooney 1-3 0-0 2, Kyra Williams 0-0 2-2 2, Nicole Goodson 0-1 0-1 0, Malieah Patterson 0-3 0-0 0, Aniyah Robinson 0-2 0-0 0, Tatiyana Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-70 12-19 76.
Cleburne County 6 15 6 4 — 31
Jacksonville 15 28 23 10 — 76
3-point goals: Cleburne Co. 0-3 (Norton 0-1, Boyd 0-2); Jacksonville 10-31 (Easley 4-6, Poe 3-7, Martin 1-9, Morgan 1-4, Kidd 1-4, Mooney 0-1). Rebounds: Cleburne Co. 39 (Parker 10, Norton 8); Jacksonville 41 (Kirksey 7, Poe 6). Total fouls:Cleburne Co. 15, Jacksonville 20.
Albertville 55, Oxford 43
ALBERTVILLE — Bridges 0 1-2 1, Cleckley 0 0-0 0, Williamson 0 0-0 0, Steiner 0 0-0 0, Allen 8 6-7 25, Epperson 1 0-0 2, Waits 1 0-0 2, Norris 7 0-0 18, Bonds 1 0-0 3, Bridges 0 0-0 0, Wells 1 2-2 4. Totals 19 9-11 55.
OXFORD (7-8) – Makayla Kidd 3-5 0-0 8, Winter Taylor 6-17 4-4 18, Kayla Lowery 0-1 0-0 0, Tremeria Britt 2-10 0-0 5, Ebony Kelley 6-9 0-0 12, Alex Gomez 0-1 0-0 1, Jordan Smith 0-6 0-0 0, Alexus Davis 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 17-51 4-4 43.
Albertville 9 20 21 5 — 55
Oxford 13 8 5 17 — 43
3-point goals: Albertville 8-20; (Allen 3-7, Norris 4-8); Oxford 5-12 (Kidd 2-3, Taylor 2-5, Britt 1-4)
Rebounds: Albertville 27; Oxford 33 (Kelley 11). Total fouls: Albertville 5, Oxford 9.
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