Piedmont befuddles White Plains
- Updated: January 18, 2016
Lady Bulldogs use creative defensive plan to beat White Plains for first time in three meetings
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — They say it’s very hard to beat a team three times in a season, and that was proved Monday in the Calhoun County Girls Tournament as Piedmont beat White Plains 30-22.
The Bulldogs’ defense focused on keeping the ball away from Wildcats guard Shelby Wood and coach Terrace Ridley sent Kaitlyn Ridley to face up Wood in a box-and-one. It worked to perfection as they held Wood scoreless and fouled her out with three minutes to go in the game.
White Plains had won the two previous meetings between the teams this season, but this time everything went Piedmont’s way.
“Our plan was to shut down Shelby Wood this time,” Terrace Ridley said. “Our two leading scorers are on the bench with torn ACL’s and we had to figure out a way to overcome adversity, and we did.
“If you can hold a great player down and we can grind out a few buckets on offense, we have a chance to win.”
The fifth-seeded Lady Bulldogs now play fourth-seeded Pleasant Valley Wednesday at 4 p.m.
“Kaitlin did a great job on her and Jakeiya (Mitchell) would slide over to double team when she got the ball,” Ridley said. “The plan was to just worry about defense and let the offense take care of itself. I am so proud of the way we played; it says a lot about our team.”
Piedmont’s trapping half-court defense befuddled White Plains in the first quarter as the Lady Wildcats did not score a field goal until five seconds remained on Rian Chandler’s jumper.
The second quarter was much the same as the Lady Bulldogs held White Plains to one field goal to earn a 10-5 halftime lead.
The Lady Bulldogs (8-13) were content to drive to the bucket and draw fouls in the third quarter and hit their free throws to extend the lead to 18-9. They hit only six field goals in the game, but 18 of 32 free throws enabled them to earn the victory.
Mitchell and Lulu Jackson led Piedmont with eight points each. Jackson and Keshauna Jones had six rebounds apiece.
White Plains’ Carley Wood scored seven of her game-high nine points in the last two minutes.
Piedmont 30, White Plains 22
WHITE PLAINS — Rian Chandler 3 0-0 6, Carley Wood 4 0-2 9, Korie Burgess 0 0-0 0, Ann Katherine Dothard 1 3-7 5, Chasity Nelson 1 0-0 2, Grey Young 0 0-0 0, Shelby Wood 0 0-2 0, Mary Young 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 3-11 22.
PIEDMONT — Samirra Braswell 1 0-2 2, Brooke Perry 1 0-2 2, Keshuana Jones 0 4-5 4, Kaitlyn Ridley 2 0-0 4, Lulu Jackson 2 4-6 8, Rebecca Smart 0 2-3 2, Jakieya Mitchell 0 8-12 8. Totals: 6 18-32 30.
White Plains 3 2 4 13 — 22
Piedmont 6 4 8 12 — 30
3-point goals: White Plains 1 (C. Wood). Fouled out: S. Wood.
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