Anniston girls pull away

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: December 15, 2015

Girls roundup: White Plains’ slow-down tactics work for while, but Lady Bulldogs pull away in second half, Cooley goes for 30

By East Alabama Sports Today

White Plains controlled the tempo early in the game, but it had no answers for Raven Cooley.

The Anniston guard hit six 3-pointers and scored 30 points Monday as the Lady Bulldogs pulled away for a 55-35 victory.

White Plains kept it close in the first half by working the ball around the perimeter and waiting for a good shot.

The first quarter was a scoring duel between Cooley and the Lady Wildcats’ Hannah Barno. Anniston led 9-8 at quarter’s end with those two players doing all the scoring. Anniston led 25-19 at halftime.

“That was our game plan, that’s what we talked about at yesterday’s practice,” White Plains coach Joi Watts said. “We wanted to slow it down, make them guard. We hit a couple good shots the first half; I think that really helped us.”

Anniston turned up the defense in the second half and got its posts involved on the offensive end. The Lady Bulldogs pulled away with a 15-3 run in the final 6:15 of the third quarter after White Plains closed to 28-25 on Ann Katherine Dothard’s three-point play.

“We were trying to get the post involved; we’ve been working on that,” Anniston coach Eddie Bullock said. “We’ve got two girls (J’Kyra Clemons and Jemya Bullock) kind of filling in where Ki-Yana (Bullock) was last year to get some inside buckets. They’re not aggressive enough; we’ve basically told them they have to work hard to get open.”

Cooley hit two 3-pointers in each of the first three quarters. She was six of 13 from behind the arc in the game. She also went 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

“She’s shooting it better, just getting her to take quality shots,” Bullock said.

Davia Palmer hit four of five from the field and finished with 10 points. She also had seven assists, three steals and held Barno to two 3-pointers after switching to guard her in the second quarter. Carsheuna Curry had 12 rebounds and five steals.

Barno finished with 14 points.

Saks 63, Cleburne County 42

HEFLIN – Jordan Briskey did all her scoring from the free throw low, hitting 14 of 20, to lift Saks in their area opener.

Both teams struggled in the first half, but Saks turned it around in the second half.

“One thing this team has allowed me to do this year is make adjustments at half-time, then actually make those adjustments and play better in the second half,” Saks coach Michelle Livley said. “We are a good team with a lot of talent. We just have to execute.”

Speed was once again the key to a Saks win. The Wildcats passed the ball and ran with ease against the injury-ridden Lady Tigers, who were missing four starters and had three other players foul out.

Maiya Northard and Bre Browning each had 10 points and five rebounds for Saks. – Jason Katz

Jacksonville 45, Piedmont 16

JACKSONVILLE – Kyra Williams scored 15 points and had five steals, while Dasia Kirksey hadded 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Golden Eagles had their way with Piedmont.

The Golden Eagles forced Piedmont into 21 turnovers off which they scored 15 points.

Faith Christian 55, Ragland 40

RAGLAND – Madison Stephens was 5-of-7 from 3-point range and scored 34 points to lead the Lady Lions.

Stephens was 12-of-19 from the floor in the game. She also grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded three assists.

She hit four of her 3-pointers in a 16-point second quarter in which the Lady Lions outscored the Purple Devils 21-10 to build a 27-22 halftime lead.

GIRLS BOXSCORES

Anniston 55, White Plains 35

ANNISTON (6-1) – Miajah Bullock 1 2-6 4, Raven Cooley 7 10-10 30, Carlina Welch 0 0-0 0, Viera Edmondson 0 0-0 0, Davia Palmer 4 2-2 10, Amoriya Dudley 0 0-0 0, Keandra Finley 0 0-0 0, Monteiga Clemson 0 0-0 0, Carsheuna Curry 3 1-6 7, J’Kyra Clemson 0 0-0 0, Jemya Bullock 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 15-24 55.

WHITE PLAINS – Rian Chandler 1 0-1 2, Carley Wood 0 0-4 0, Hannah Barno 5 0-0 14, Korie Burgess 1 0-0 2, Ann Katherine Dothard 2 3-6 7, Chasity Nelson 0 0-0 0, Grey Young 2 0-0 4, Shelby Wood 1 0-0 2, Jocelyn Harris 1 0-0 2, Mary Clare Young 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 3-11 35.

Anniston 9 16 18 12 — 55
White Plains 8 11 9 7 — 35

3-point goals: Anniston 6 (Cooley 6); White Plains 4 (Barno 4). Total fouls: Anniston 15, White Plains 19. Officials: Kelley, Preston, Hinkle.

Saks 63, Cleburne County 42

SAKS – Talisa Christian 2 3-4 7, Tayler Teague 3 1-5 7, Jordan Briskey 0 14-20 14, Maiya Northard 4 2-4 10, Christie Gordon 0 0-0 0, Bre Browning 4 4-4 12, Daja Johnson 4 4-4 12. Totals 17 28-41 63.

CLEBURNE COUNTY – Shauntavia Boyd 1 2-2 4, Briana Roberts 0 1-2 1, Molly Hester 0 2-2 2, Erykah Ware 3 4-8 10, Chelsea Parker 3 3-12 9, Lauren Brown 1 5-6 7, Abby Lee 1 2-2 4, Jerrica Bonner 0 0-0 0,Tatiana Ervin 1 0-0 2. Totals: 10 19-34 42.

Saks 10 15 14 24 — 63
Cleburne County 5 15 12 10 — 42

Fouled out: Boyd, Ware, Ervin, Teague. Total fouls: Saks 23, Cleburne County 31. Officials: Wood, Caldwell, Holmes.

Jacksonville 45, Piedmont 16

PIEDMONT — Kaitlyn Ridley 2-10 2-6 6, Keshauna Jones 2-9 0-0 4, Rebecca Smart 1-1 0-0 2, Lulu Jackson 1-1 0-0 0, Samirra Braswell 1-0 0-0 0-0 0, Jakieya Mitchell 0-5 0-0 0, Breanna Brazier 0-6 0-0 0, Cassidy Jackson 0-0 0-0 0, Brooke Perry 0-3 0-0 0, Kiara Jackson 0-0 0-0 0 Ashlin Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Madison Tyree 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 7-37 2-6 16.

JACKSONVILLE — Kyra Williams 5-11 4-6 15, Dasia Kirksey 6-13 1-1 14, Aniyah Robinson 2-4 2-3 6, Ataliya Morgan 2-7 0-1 Malieah Patterson 2-5 1-2, Kelsey Ervin 0-1 0-0 0, Essence Hutchinson 0-1 0-0 0, Aniya Jefferson 0-0 0-0 0, Destoni Edwards 0-1 0-0 0, Kianna Guidry 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-43 8-13 45.

Piedmont 4 4 6 2 — 16
Jacksonville 11 16 6 12 — 45

3-point goals: Piedmont 0-10 (Ridley 0-3, Jones 0-1, Mitchell 0-2, Brazier 0-3, Tyree 0-1); Jacksonville 3-14 (Kyra Williams 1-4, Kirksey 1-2, Morgan 1-5, Paterson 0-2, Hutchinson 0-1. Rebounds: Piedmont 28 (Ridley 6, Jones 6); Jacksonville 29 (Kirksey 7). Total fouls: Piedmont 9, Jacksonville 5.

Faith Christian 55, Ragland 40

FAITH CHRISTIAN — Emily Sills 2 0-0 4, Madison Stephens 12 5-7 34, S.J. Christjohn 0 0-0 0, Sydnee Johnson 3 0-0 6, Regan Crosby 0 0-0 0, Zana Christjohn 0 0-0 0, Logan Boyd 4 0-0 11. Totals 21 5-7 55.

RAGLAND – Shyann Hazelwood 2 3-4 9, Tyasia Howard 1 0-1 2, Shelley Bird 3 0-0 6, Savannah Kay 2 2-2 7, Katie Echols1 1-2 3, Makenzie Campbell 5 3-9 13. Totals 14 9-18 40.

Faith 6 21 15 13 — 55
Ragland 11 10 7 12 — 40

3-point goals: Faith 8 (Stephens 5, Boyd 3); Ragland 3 (Hazelwood 2, Kay). Fouled out: Hazlewood. Total fouls: Faith 14, Ragland 13. Officials: Bender, Higdon, Beard.

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