Stepping in
- Updated: November 24, 2015
Parris filling open spot in PV’s backcourt with scoring punch and evolving floor skills; Lady Raiders go to 5-0
By East Alabama Sports Today
OHATCHEE – It wasn’t a question of whether Mac Parris wanted to be Atleigh Brannon’s running mate in the Pleasant Valley backcourt this season. She had to be.
The 10th-grader was thrust into the spot vacated by the graduated Tiffany Williams and with each game is solidifying her position of trust.
On Monday she provided the scoring to go along with her improving ball-handling skills as the Lady Raiders won their fifth straight 64-56 over Alexandria in Ohatchee’s Creekbank Invitational.
Parris scored a game- and career-high 23 points and kept things together every time the Valley Cubs made a move on them.
“I was just trying to work on my ball handling and shooting to make up for the 16 to 20 points that Tiffany had just about every game,” Parris said. “I tried to have the mindset I needed to get better to help Atliegh for when she gets in foul trouble or gets double-teamed.”
Lady Raiders head coach Brad Hood said it’s “night and day” the improvement Parris has made from the season opener (when she scored 14) to now.
“She had to do it, our other guard is a freshman,” Hood said. “She was real discouraged the first game or two and started today with a couple turnovers but she shook them off and kept playing.”
The funny thing is, the Lady Raiders are off to perhaps their best start in school history and may not have played its most complete game yet.
It took a while for them to get going Monday, but they took control of the game in the second quarter – with Parris scoring 11 points – and turned back every attempt the Cubs made on the lead.
They led 9-2, the Cubs cut it back to 9-8 at the end of the quarter. The lead was seven at halftime, the Cubs had it a one-point game midway through the third quarter.
“We’ve got so many things we’ve got to get better at,” Hood said. “We’re not even playing up to our potential.
“If we were playing our best ball right now and scoring 62 points a game I’d be a little worried. We’re averaging over 62 points a game and we’re not finishing underneath the basket right now. They’ve got a lot of potential.”
Brannon added to the balanced scoring attack with 18 points. Mikala Simpson started strong and finished with 11.
Timberlyn Shurbutt led Alexandria with 21 points. She hit five 3-pointers in the second half. Connieya Bradford added 16 points for the Valley Cubs.
Wellborn 52, Lincoln 37
Vanessa and Katessa Carter combined for 31 points to offset another big game from Amaz Carmichael.
Carmichael, a 6-3 sophomore who transferred from Oxford and sat out last season, had 28 points. She has scored 97 points in her first three games.
The Lady Panthers held her scoreless in the first quarter and opened a 17-2 lead. The Carters scored 15 in the first quarter and combined for 13 in the fourth.
Vanessa Carter finished with 19 for the game.
CREEKBANK INVITATIONAL
Pleasant Valley 64, Alexandria 56
PLEASANT VALLEY (5-0) – Kara Perry 3 0-1 6, Lindsey Pritchett 0 0-0 0, Mac Parris 9 3-4 23, Atleigh Brannon 6 4-6 18, Alyssa Cash 1 0-0 2, Kendall Johnson 0 0-0 0, Rachel Faucett 0 0-1 0, Mikala Simpson 4 3-5 11, Courtney Upton 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 10-17 64.
ALEXANDRIA (0-2) – Timberlyn Shurbutt 6 4-5 21, Catelynn Howell 2 0-0 4, Shelby Lowery 0 0-0 0, Brooke Ponder 0 0-0 0, Sarah Kilgore 0 0-0 0, Destiny Heathcock 0 0-0 0, Connieya Bradford 5 6-9 16, Allison Bonds 3 0-0 7, Gracie Muncher 2 2-2 8, Janizia Ross 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 12-16 56.
Pleasant Valley 9 23 15 17 — 64
Alexandria 8 17 14 17 — 56
3-point goals: Pleasant Valley 4 (Parris 2, Brannon 2); Alexandria 8 (Shurbutt 5, Bonds, Muncher 2). Fouled out: Simpson, Heathcock. Total fouls: Pleasant Valley 19, Alexandria 18. Officials: Howell, Strott, Carpenter.
Wellborn 52, Lincoln 37
WELLBORN – Samantha Cooley 0 0-0 0, Vanessa Carter 7 4-6 19, Anaya Lowe 1 4-4 6, Loni Welch 0 0-0 0, Madison Files 2 0-0 4, Katessa Carter 5 1-1 12, Ayanna Foster 3 0-0 6, Valencia White 0 0-0 0, Olivia Brantley 0 0-0 0, Desirae Traylor 0 0-0 0, Markeisha Jones 2 1-1 5. Totals 20 10-12 52.
LINCOLN (1-2) – Jayla Morris 1 0-0 2, Jasmine Miller 0 0-0 0, Taylor Conway 2 0-0 4, Amaz Carmichael 10 8-9 28, Courtney Edwards 0 1-1 1, Bailey Gowers 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 9-10 37.
Wellborn 17 11 7 7 — 52
Lincoln 2 11 8 16 — 37
3-point goals: Wellborn 2 (V. Carter, K. Carter). Fouled out: Morris. Technical fouls: Foster. Total fouls: Wellborn 16, Lincoln 15. Officials: Calkins, Strott, Davis.
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