Williams makes most of chance
- Updated: January 31, 2015
Girls roundup: Green has big game for Piedmont; Greenwood goes for 36
Sierra Stone (13) had 14 points, seven rebounds and blocked two shots Friday against Weaver. On the cover, (from left) Destiny Easley, Stone and Virginia Poe share a light moment on the Jacksonville bench. (Photos by Nick Souder).
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
WEAVER – Kyra Williams got her opportunity to make an impression and took full advantage of it.
One-sided games like Friday’s 77-32 rout of Weaver allows Jacksonville girls coach Ryan Chambless a chance to clear his bench and give players who might not get meaningful minutes otherwise an opportunity to shine.
Williams, a freshman, scored a career-high 13 points and had four steals, three assists and a blocked shot.
“The last two games I’ve not been playing well and this time of year I’ve got to step it up to get playing time,” Williams said. “I just want to help my team out.”
Actually, she had nine points, five steals and four assists against Cleburne County on Tuesday, but went scoreless in 10 minutes against Glencoe Thursday.
She was one of five players – and two non-starters – to score in double figures for the second-ranked Golden Eagles Friday. Sierra Stone led the offense with 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Dasia Kirksey had 11 points and seven boards, while Ataliya Morgan and Virginia Poe had 10 points each.
Williams had gotten some minutes in a call-up role with the Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa varsity before transferring in to Jacksonville. She has scored in the 40s during her middle school days.
“She’s a good young player, she’s got some ability,” Chambless said of Williams. “(I’m) trying to work her in as much as I can and give her some minutes and reps. Games like today are good for her.”
While the result was one-sided, it was a lot better for the Bearcats than the first meeting between the teams when Jacksonville won 99-22.
Keara Scott had a triple-double for the Bearcats. She scored 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 11 shots.
“We played hard, that’s all you could ask,” Weaver coach Gary Atchley said. “All we wanted to do was get ready for our area tournament. It might not look it on the scoreboard, but we took a step forward tonight.”
Talladega 46, Oxford 43
OXFORD — The Lady Tigers (17-8) defeated Oxford by 34 in Talladega earlier in the season, but this time the Lady Jackets (11-12) showed just how much they have improved, missing a shot with eight seconds left that could have won the game and then missed an opportunity to tie it at the buzzer.
The Jackets were down 17-10 after one period but turned the pressure up with Winter Taylor pushing the ball up the court and center Jordan Smith’s play under the basket. Smith had nine first-half points as they cut the lead to 23-22 at the half. They held 6-3 Camille Buckhannon to just eight points by an Oxford defense that was flying to the ball.
The lead changed hands in the third quarter as Smith hit two more baskets and Oxford led 26-25. Taylor then picked up her third foul and Smith went down with an ankle injury and Talladega pulled up by five.
Alexus Davis and Ebony Kelley were controlling the boards and Taylor buried a 3 that cut the lead to 44-43 with 1:01 to play. The Lady Tigers iced the game at the free throw line.
“Our kids have really improved this year and I have been pleased with that improvement,” Oxford coach Tonya Peoples said. “We just have to quit making so many turnovers and we will be all right.”
Smith led Oxford with 13 points and four rebounds before leaving the game with an injury. Taylor added 10 points and six rebounds. Kelley had 5 points and 10 rebounds.
Buckhannon had 14 points for Talladega. Alexis Morgan had 13 and Gabriel Johnson had 12. – Brant Locklier
Piedmont 73, Woodland 42
PIEDMONT – Bre Green, Carlie Flowers and Riesha Thompson will remember their Senior Night at Piedmont for a long time.
Green scored a career-high 33 points and 10 steals, Flowers had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Thompson had eight steals as the Bulldogs won their final home game of the regular season going away.
Green hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter and had 19 points in the first half as the Bulldogs opened a 37-18 lead. Sophomore Breanna Brazier hit three 3-pointers in the game and finished with 13 points.
White Plains 61, Faith Christian 39
WHITE PLAINS — The anticipated scoring battle between White Plains’ Amber Greenwood and Faith’s Madison Stephens got off to a fast start, then took different courses.
Greenwood scored 36 and Stephens had 25. Stephens scored 17 of her team’s 19 points in the first quarter, but couldn’t maintain that pace. Greenwood, meanwhile, was steady throughout, scoring 10 in the first quarter, 12 in the second, 12 in the third and two in the running-clock fourth.
Greenwood was 13 of 27 from the field, 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Shelby Wood scored eight points for White Plains, and had seven assists and three steals.
The Wildcats broke it open by outscoring Faith 24-0 in the third quarter.
Ohatchee 62, Jacksonville Christian 38
OHATCHEE – The Indians’ two-tiered punch of Joria Steger and Morgan Lee combined to outscore JCA themselves and the supporting cast helped stretch the margin.
Steger scored 26 points and Lee had 13.
GIRLS BOX SCORES
Jacksonville 77, Weaver 32
JACKSONVILLE — Sierra Stone 7-8 0-0 14, Kyra Williams 5-8 2-2 13, Dasia Kirksey 5-11 1-2 11, Ataliya Morgan 4-7 0-0 10, Virginia Poe 4-9 1-2 10, Malieah Patterson 2-5 0-0 5, Tatiyana Thomas 2-4 1-2 5, Nicole Goodson 2-6 0-0 4, Destiny Easley 1-1 1-2 3, Brandi Canady 1-8 0-0 2, Aniyah Robinson 0-6 0-0 0, Quenteeria Mooney 0-3 0-0 0, Kelsey Ervin 0-3 0-0 0, Angel Kidd 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 33-83 6-10 77.
WEAVER — Keara Scott 5-11 1-2 13, Rayne Beck 4-10 0-0 9, Emily Reed 2-3 0-0 4, Ciara Hardy 1-3 0-1 2, Tayanna Perry 1-1 0-0 2, Caleigh Cortez 0-1 2-6 2, Mariah Thompson 0-3 0-0 0, Amira Carter 0-1 0-0 0, Anna Howell 0-0 0-0 0, Cameron Logan 0-1 0-0 0, Hannah Roberts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-34 3-9 32.
Jacksonville 21 25 19 12 — 77
Weaver 5 11 10 6 — 32
3-point goals: Jacksonville 5-21 (Williams 1-3, Kirksey 0-1, Morgan 2-4, Poe 1-5, Patterson 1-1, Mooney 0-3, Kidd 0-4); Weaver 3-13 (Scott 2-5, Beck 1-3, Reed 0-1, Hardy 0-1, Thompson 0-1, Carter 0-1, Logan 0-1). Rebounds: Jacksonville 51 (Stone 7, Kirksey 7); Weaver 30 (Scott 11). Total fouls: Jacksonville 13, Weaver 11. Officials: Stringer, Smith, Douthit.
Piedmont 73, Woodland 42
WOODLAND — Jessica Heard 4 0-1 10, Lacy Prince 0 0-0 0, Jacy Lovvorn 1 5-8 7, Paige Smith 1 1-1 3, Laura Gembe 4 1-2 10, Jacy Carter 3 3-6 10, Madison Story 1 0-2 2, Allison Smith 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 10-20 42
PIEDMONT — Paige Gowens 0 0-0 0, Sydney Prater 1 2-3 4, Samirra Braswell 0 0-0 0, Breanna Brazier 5 0-0 13, Bre Green 12 6-8 33, Keshauna Jones 0 0-0 0, Riesha Thompson 1 0-2 2, Lulu Jackson 1 2-4 4, Madison Tyree 0 0-0 0, Carlie Flowers 6 2-6 14, Alaysia Higgins 0 0-0 0, Rebecca Smart 0 0-2 0, Kaitlyn Ridley 1 0-0 3, Totals 27 12-23 73.
Woodland 12 6 20 4 — 42
Piedmont 16 21 24 12 — 73
3-point goals: Woodland 4 (Heard 2, Gembe, Carter); Piedmont 7 (Brazier 3, Green 3, Ridley). Total fouls: Woodland 18, Piedmont 16. Fouled out: Carter.
White Plains 61, Faith Christian 39
FAITH CHRISTIAN — Emily Sills 0 0-0 0, Madison Stephens 7 7-7 25, Montana Huie 1 0-0 2, Sydney Johnson 0 0-0 0, Cornelia Simpson 0 2-4 2, Sarah Kate McVeigh 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth McCollough 0 0-0 0, Logan Boyd 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 9-11 29.
WHITE PLAINS — Rian Chandler 2 0-0 4, Carley Wood 1 1-1 3, Hannah Barno 2 0-0 6, Korie Burgess 0 0-0 0, Casity Nelson 0 0-0 0, Amber Greenwood 13 6-7 36, Grey Young 0 0-0 0, Shelby Wood 3 1-2 8, Landry Bussey 0 0-0 0, Mary Clare Young 0 0-0 0, Allisa Murray 0 0-0 0, Ann Katherine Dothard 2 0-0 4. Totals 23 8-10 61
Faith Christian 19 6 0 4 — 29
White Plains 19 16 24 2 — 61
3-point goals: Faith 4 (Stephens 4); White Plains 7 (Barno 2, Greenwood 4, S. Wood). Total fouls: Faith 9, White Plains 11. Officials: Miller, Crawford, Maske.
Talladega 46, Oxford 43
TALLADEGA (17-8) — Tnigera Wright 0 0-0 0, Gabreial Johnson 5 0-3 12, Jada Reynolds 2 0-0 4, Alexis McKinney 1 3-3 5, Alexis Morgan 5 1-2 11, Maya Buchanon 5 4-4 14, Dayiell Johnson 0 0-1 0. Totals 18 8-13 46.
OXFORD (11-12) — Anna Bolton 1 0-0 2, Makayla Kidd 1 0-0 2, Winter Taylor 3 3-4 10, Makayla Lowery 0 0-0 0, Tremeria Britt 3 1-3 7, Ebony Kelley 1 3-5 5, Jordan Smith 6 1-1 13, Alexus Davis 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 8-13 43.
Talladega 17 6 12 11 — 46
Oxford 10 12 8 13 — 43
3-point goals: Talladega 2 (Johnson 2); Oxford 1 (Taylor). Officials: Oliver, House, Wright.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login