Ohatchee sweeps Wellborn
- Updated: January 11, 2016
Indians seize control with late run in the first half; girls team gets big jump in each half, holds on in the second
Ohatchee’s Brian Jennings (30) draws a lot of attention from Wellborn defenders as he makes a move under the basket Monday. (Photo by Carrie Howell)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OHATCHEE – Every team goes through a lull during the season. It’s how quickly it snaps out of it that determines the success it will have.
The Ohatchee Indians were starting to see some good signs in their two holiday tournaments, but they came back after the first of the year and lost two area games. They got back on track Monday with a 60-37 win over Wellborn.
“We had to get back rolling,” Ohatchee coach Bryant Ginn said. “We had a great Christmas tournament — both tournaments we started playing well — then we dropped two area games, so we had to get back rolling.
“We always preach peaking at the right time. You don’t want to peak before Christmas; you want to be peaking right about now. We hope we’re going to keep riding this momentum.”
The Indians took control of the game midway through the second quarter. Mitchell Raines pulled Wellborn within 23-22, but then Ohatchee ripped off the last 10 points of the quarter and steadily pulled away in the second half.
Austin Tucker’s three-point play off his missed free throw capped the run and gave the Indians a 33-22 lead at the break.
“We always preach five stops in a row,” Ginn said. “We want to get five stops in a row, we feel like we can score three out of five. We just kept preaching getting those five stops and we did.”
Tucker led all scorers with 16 points. Once the Indians got the game under control, Ginn turned the game over to his bench and the reserves took Wellborn completely out of its game. Ten of the 11 Indians who got in the game scored.
“We got back in our rhythm,” Tucker said. “It was heartbreaking losing those two games (to Westbrook and Glencoe). The bench grew up a lot today and that helped us out a lot.”
Blake Hanson led Wellborn with 15 points. He was the only Panthers player to score in double figures.
Ohatchee girls 51, Wellborn 42
The Lady Indians opened each half with an 11-2 run and after losing the early lead held on in the second half.
Madison Hanks led Ohatchee with 18 points; she scored nine points in each half. Cheyenne McCarter had four of her eight points in the early second-half run and scored all her points in the second half.
“I thought they were aggressive and assertive tonight,” Ginn said.
Wellborn’s Vanessa Carter led all scorers with 21 points. Aliyah Thrasher’s two 3-pointers helped get the Lady Panthers back in the game early, but Hanks scored Ohatchee’s last eight points of the second quarter to send it into the break with a 21-20 lead. The 11-2 run that opened the second half gave Ohatchee the lead for good.
“Once we get the lead we know our defense has to be really good and really aggressive so we can keep it,” Hanks said. “We tried to make our defense better in the second half and I think it was.”
Ohatchee’s Hannah Howell (4) tries to tighten up her defense against Wellborn’s Vanessa Carter.
BOYS GAME
Ohatchee 60, Wellborn 37
WELLBORN (2-11) – D.J. Rhoden 0 0-0 0, Mitchell Raines 2 0-0 4, Eric Johnson 1 1-2 3, Quindarious Moore 1 1-2 3, Ty Kite 0 0-0 0, Ked Harris 0 0-0 0, Jordan Montgomery 2 1-2 6, Junior Towns 0 0-0 0, Jaylun Kelley 3 0-0 6, Blake Hanson 5 3-6 15. Totals 14 6-12 37.
OHATCHEE – Ben Glass 3 4-4 11, Kevin Williamson 2 0-0 4, Micah Lee 4 0-0 8, Jon Noel 2 0-0 4, Bryant Dunaway 2 0-0 4, Brennan Wink 1 0-0 2, Austin Tucker 5 6-10 16, Blaine Cole 0 0-0 0, Brian Jennings 3 2-2 8, Tristan Woodall 1 0-0 2, Sean Barnett 0 1-2 1. Totals 23 13-18 60.
Wellborn 10 12 9 6 — 37
Ohatchee 11 22 16 11 — 60
3-point goals: Wellborn 3 (Montgomery, Hanson 2); Ohatchee 1 (Glass). Fouled out: Montgomery. Total fouls: Wellborn 16, Ohatchee 8. Officials: Hollingsworth, Stubbs, Miller.
GIRLS GAME
Ohatchee 51, Wellborn 42
WELLBORN (8-9) – Vanessa Carter 10 0-0 21, Madison Files 3 0-0 6, Katessa Carter 1 0-0 2, Ayanna Foster 1 0-0 2, Valencia White 0 0-0 0, Aliyah Thrasher 4 1-2 11, Desirae Traylor 0 0-0 0, Markeisha Jones 0 0-2 0. Totals 19 1-4 42.
OHATCHEE – Courtney Poole 3 0-0 6, Hannah Howell 2 1-3 6, Ally McCoy 1 0-1 2, Kourtney Shuler 0 0-0 0, Kacie Cooper 3 0-0 6, Mac Hanks 2 0-0 5, Madison Hanks 8 2-4 18, Cheyenne McCarter 4 0-1 8. Totals 23 3-9 51.
Wellborn 4 16 13 9 — 42
Ohatchee 11 10 19 11 — 51
3-point goals: Wellborn 3 (V. Carter, Thrasher 2); Ohatchee 2 (Howell, Mc. Hanks). Fouled out: Foster. Total fouls: Wellborn 16, Ohatchee 9. Officials: Hollingsworth, Stubbs, Miller.
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