Spring Garden back in finals
- Updated: December 29, 2015
Girls roundup: Lady Panthers reach Tallapoosa title game for third straight year; Valley Cubs fall in Glencoe semifinals, Saks stumbles at beach
Alexandria’s Timberlynn Shurbutt (L) brings the ball across midcourt against Boaz’ Jericka Smith. (Photo by Jason Katz)
TUESDAY’S SCORES
Boaz 42, Alexandria 37
Bremen 67, Weaver 31
Cedar Bluff 62, Oneonta 37
James Clemens 53, Jacksonville 38
Oxford 67, White Plains 28
Spring Garden 55, Pepperell 38
Tuscaloosa Central 62, Saks 34
By East Alabama Sports Today
TALLAPOOSA, Ga. – Everything the Spring Garden girls basketball team did here at the 40th annual Hilburn-Patterson Haralson County Invitational this week was geared toward making it to the finals.
Winning it all would be a nice reward, but simply getting to experience the intensity of a tournament final is something this team really needed.
The Lady Panthers clinched their trip to the tournament finals Tuesday with a 55-38 victory over Pepperell. They will play host Haralson County for the crown today at 6 p.m.
“We just wanted to find a way to get to the championship game,” Spring Garden coach Ricky Austin said. “You’ve got to be in the championship before you can win a championship. It’s a big stage, a different atmosphere, and you’ve got to be in it as much as you can.
“You can’t put this type of game in your gym for practice. You’ve got to experience it, and the more times the better.”
This will be the Lady Panthers’ third straight trip to the tournament final; they won the last two. They beat the host Rebelettes for the title last year and the teams have played some epic battles over the years.
Tykeah Rogers had another big game with 25 points and 15 rebounds, while Madison Sides and A.J. Broome had 13 and 11, respectively, and hit all seven of the Lady Panthers’ 3-pointers.
Broome was 3-for-4 from outside the arc and Sides was 4-for-7.
The Lady Panthers held Madison Wilder, Pepperell’s Division I signee, scoreless in the first half and to only 12 points total.
“I thought we played with a little bit more grit and effort,” Austin said. “I thought we got a little bit of that Christmas stuff out of us. It was cleaner … but we’re still not where we need to be.”
But playing for a championship will move them a step closer.
Bremen 67, Weaver 31: Seniors Emily Williams and Andrea Lasseigne scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, as the Lady Blue Devils sent the young Bearcats packing.
Caleigh Cortez scored all five of Weaver’s points in the first quarter and finished with a team-high 14 points. She scored six of the Lady Bearcats’ seven points in the fourth quarter.
Glencoe Holiday Shootout
Boaz 42, Alexandria 37: The Lady Cubs stumbled in their semifinal matchup after leading most of the first half.
The senior-less team that clearly lacks veteran play struggled throughout the game while Boaz attacked from every angle, stifling the Valley Cubs to only 15 points in the second half.
“They started putting pressure on us and played much better defense than us,” second-year Alexandria coach Jordan Costner. “They were hot and we didn’t put any pressure on them and that was the story of the game.”
Connieya Bradford led Alexandria with 19 points and seven rebounds. Timberlynn Shurbutt had eight points and four rebounds, while Kaitlyn Gillian led the Lady Pirates with 15 points and 3 boards.
“I told the defense they blew it,” said Costner. “They out hustled us and outworked us and that is unacceptable.”
Alexandria (3-4) will play in a consolation matchup Wednesday at noon. Boaz will play for the girls championship at 6 p.m. – Jason Katz
Oxford 68, White Plains 28: The Lady Jackets pulled away from a close game with a 21-8 second quarter, then took complete control by outscoring the Lady Wildcats 26-1 in the third.
Tremeria Britt led four Oxford scorers in double figures with 14 points. Winter Taylor had 13, Jordan Smith 12 and Alex Gomez 11. Smith also grabbed nine rebounds. Taylor had four rebounds and six steals.
Pell City Tournament
James Clemens 53, Jacksonville 38: Kyra Williams scored 23 points, but the Jets shut down the rest of the fifth-ranked Golden Eagles. Clemens made its biggest mark on the offensive glass. The Jets grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and scored seven second-chance points (to none for Jacksonville).
Destin Holiday Classic
Tuscaloosa Central 62, Saks 34: Antiyocka Howard scored 26 points to hand the Lady Wildcats’ their second loss of the tournament. The Lady Falcons (13-3) will now play Fort Walton Beach for fifth place Wednesday at 5:15 p.m.; Saks (7-5) will play Seneca (SC) for seventh at 3:30. Bre Browning led Saks with 10 points.
TUESDAY’S GIRLS BOX SCORES
Spring Garden 55, Pepperell 38
PEPPERELL (4-6) – Grace Hufford 0 0-0 0, Kaylee Mansell 0 0-0 0, Leah Rowell 1 1-1 3, Meg McCord 0 0-0 0, Jesse Burkhalter 5 1-2 11, Madison Wilder 5 1-2 12, Jacrisa Ware 3 0-0 6, Tamiya Griffin 1 0-0 2, Josie McGraw 2 0-0 4, Trinity Fielder 0 0-1 0, Macie Owens 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 3-6 38.
SPRING GARDEN (9-3) – AJ Broome 3 2-2 11, Katie Williams 0 0-0 0, Deana Lambert 0 0-0 0, Kerstin Bryant 0 0-0 0, Madison Sides 4 1-2 13, Savannah Dempsey 0 0-0 0, Payton McGinnis 2 0-0 4, Tiyonna Rogers 1 0-0 2, Tykeah Rogers 7 11-15 25, Madison Jennings 0 0-0 0, Macy Reedy 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 14-19 55.
Pepperell 7 9 13 9 — 38
Spring Garden 11 13 19 12 — 55
3-point goals: Pepperell 1 (Wilder); Spring Garden 7 (Broome 3, Sides 4). Total fouls: Pepperell 16, Spring Garden 10.
Bremen 67, Weaver 31
WEAVER (6-7) — Caleigh Cortez 4 6-11 14, Tayanna Perry 2 0-0 4, Rayne Beck 1 0-0 2, Anna Howell 0 1-1 1, Morgan Wigley 0 0-0 0, Hannah Roberts 0 0-0 0, Mariah Thompson 1 0-0 2, Abbey Gaines 4 0-1 8, Skylar Watson 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 7-13 31.
BREMEN – Lexi Wylie 1 0-2 2, Molly Gilroy 0 0-0 0, Averi Schrews 2 0-0 4, Ashlynn Hodges 3 0-0 7, Morgan Cashen 1 0-0 2, Laci Dewberry 4 0-0 9, Anna Schrews 2 0-0 4, Alyssa Taylor 4 0-1 8, Bethany Chapman 1 2-4 4, Emily Williams 4 4-5 14, Andrea Lasseigne 6 1-2 13. Totals 28 7-14 67.
Weaver 5 7 12 7 — 31
Bremen 18 19 22 8 — 67
3-point goals: Bremen 4 (Hodges, Dewberry, Williams 2). Total fouls: Weaver 11, Bremen 14.
James Clemens 53, Jacksonville 38
JACKSONVILLE – Kyra Williams 6-10 9-14 23, Aniyah Robinson 3-7 0-0 6, Ataliya Morgan 1-7 1-2 4, Dasia Kirksey 1-2 1-4 3, Aniya Jefferson 1-2 0-0 2, Kelsey Ervin 0-0 0-0 0, Malieah Patterson 0-0 0-0 0, Destoni Edwards 0-1 0-2 0, Kianna Guidry 0-0 0-0 0, Essence Hutchinson 0-0 0-0. Totals 12-29 11-22 38.
JAMES CLEMENS – Regan Williams 4-11 9-16 17, Camryn Samuel 3-8 3-6 9, Shayla Gholston 3-6 2-2 8, Angela Benson 3-10 1-4 7, Brooke Baugh 2-4 1-2 7, Alanna Williams 1-2 1-2 3, Ashley Haywood 1-1 0-0 2, Adrian Grant 0-2 0-0 0, Kayli Clafin 0-2 0-0 0, Marissa Lacey 0-1 0-0. Totals 17-47 17-32 53.
Jacksonville 6 13 5 14 — 38
James Clemens 11 12 13 17 — 53
3-point goals: Jacksonville 3-9 (Williams 2-4, Morgan 1-5); Clemens 2-8 (R. Williams 0-1, Gholston 0-1, Benson 0-2, Baugh 2-3, Clafin 0-1). Rebounds: Jacksonville 28 (Williams 6, Robinson 6); Clemens 34 (Samuel 10). Total fouls: Jacksonville 22, Clemens 18.
Boaz 42, Alexandria 37
BOAZ – Shayla Carrolla 0 0-0 0, Jericka Lybrand 1 0-0 2, Jericka Smith 1 0-0 2, Caitlyn Hunkeapiller 0 1-2 1, Kaitlyn Gillian 4 4-4 15, Katie Ratcliffe 1 1-2 3, Autumn Patterson 5 0-0 12, Baylee Alldredge 2 3-4 7. Totals 14 9-12 42.
ALEXANDRIA – Sarah Kilgore 1 0-0 2, Connieya Bradford 7 5-9 19, Gracie Muncher 0 0-0 0, Molly Parker 1 0-0 2, Catelynn Howell 1 0-2 2, Brooke Ponder 0 0-0 0, Timberlynn Shurbutt 3 0-0 8, Shelby Lowery 2 0-0 4, Destiny Heathcock 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-11 37.
Boaz 10 15 5 12 — 42
Alexandria 13 9 7 8 — 37
3-point goals: Boaz 5 (Gillian 3, Patterson 2); Alexandria 2 (Shurbutt 2). Total fouls: Boaz 12, Alexandria 14.
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