Things looking up for Ohatchee girls
- Updated: January 29, 2016
Girls roundup: Lady Indians do all the right things in the final minute to beat Weaver; also, Cedar Bluff-JCA, Anniston, Pleasant Valley
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
WEAVER – The first thing Bryant Ginn thought as he saw Ally McCoy flash past the bench in the closing seconds of Thursday’s game was, “Look up.”
He doesn’t remember if he was yelling it as the guard went by him, but he was sure screaming it at the top of his lungs inside his head.
The first thing Cheyenne McCarter thought when McCoy delivered her the ball in the post was “Don’t miss.”
The fact everybody in an Ohatchee uniform did their jobs down the stretch the Lady Indians were able to escape from Weaver with a 34-30 victory.
“Our guards have had a problem with their eyes being down; we miss open people,” Ginn said. “As Ally was running to me, I was saying, ‘Please look up, please look up.’ She looked up and saw (McCarter), hit it and it was a big shot.”
It was a really big shot for McCarter. Her basket with 17.5 seconds left broke a 30-30 tie and spoiled a spirited Weaver comeback to draw the Lady Bearcats even.
“Right before I shot it I was really scared I was going to miss because I have a tendency to miss layups,” McCarter said. “Before I took it I had to take a deep breath. I saw somebody coming.”
Ohatchee led by eight entering the fourth quarter, but Weaver made it a one-point game with 3:24 to play.
McCarter pushed the lead back to five on a put-back with 51.5 seconds left, but Weaver quickly tied it at 30 on Mariah Thompson’s 3-pointer and Abby Gaines’ basket with less than 30 seconds to play.
A few moments later McCoy looked up with the ball and found McCarter all alone on the far side of the lane for an easy layup.
Weaver missed a 3-pointer with eight seconds left and Ohatchee closed it out with two free throws by Madison Hanks in the closing seconds.
Cedar Bluff 62, Jacksonville Christian 42: Cedar Bluff clinched the second seed in the upcoming Class 1A Area 13 girls tournament, but the Lady Tigers want more.
The loss forced the Thunder (12-7) into a coin toss with Coosa Christian for the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds in the area tournament – the No. 3 avoiding the play-in game to face No. 1.
The stakes are much higher for Cedar Bluff. The eighth-ranked Lady Tigers play No. 4 Spring Garden Friday night. If they win, it forces a coin toss between the two teams for the No. 1 seed and right to host the tournament; a loss hands it all to Spring Garden.
“It’s very exciting,” said Delilah Price, the Lady Tigers’ leading scorer with 17 points. “It’s a just a big challenge to us all.”
The Lady Tigers used a combination of rebounding and aggressive defense to seize control of the game.
JCA closed to 14-10 in the late stages of the first quarter, but the Lady Tigers got a 3 and a 2 from Alexis Smith and another basket from Ollina McClellan to push comfortably back ahead. It was 21-13 when the Lady Tigers scored the first 12 points of the second quarter to open a 33-13 lead.
Price scored 10 of her points in the first half. Kiana Dobbins (13), Marigrace Wilson (10) and Alexis Smith (10) also scored in double figures in the game for Cedar Bluff.
Joeley Cupp led JCA with 12 points – all on 3-pointers. Sarah Crook added 11 points.
Anniston 63, Talladega 49: Miajah Bullock scored 17 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and was four steals shy of another triple-double.
Keandra Finley (13), Carsheuna Curry (12) Davia Palmer (10) also scored in double figures for Anniston. Curry also had 11 rebounds, while Raven Cooley finised with seven points, but added six assists and six rebounds.
Gabby Johnson hit five 3-pointers for Talladega and finished with 23 points. Jada Reynolds added 15.
Pleasant Valley 55, Cleburne County 43: Atleigh Brannon scored 23 points as the 10th-ranked Lady Raiders scored their 20th victory of the season. McKinley Parris added 11 for PV and Kara Perry had nine.
THURSDAY’S GIRLS BOXSCORES
Ohatchee 34, Weaver 30
OHATCHEE – Taylor Hamm 1 0-0 2, Courtney Poole 1 0-0 2, Hannah Howell 1 0-0 2, Kourtney Shuler 0 0-2 0, Ally McCoy 2 4-4 8, Kacie Cooper 0 0-0 0, Makenzie Hanks 0 0-0 0, Madison Hanks 3 5-7 11, Cheyenne McCarter 4 1-2 9. Totals 12 10-16 34.
WEAVER – Caleigh Cortez 5 1-2 11, Tayanna Perry 1 2-2 4, Rayne Beck 2 0-0 4, Emily Reed 1 0-0 2, Mariah Thompson 3 0-0 7, Abby Gaines 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 3-8 30.
Ohatchee 9 9 8 8 — 34
Weaver 6 6 6 12 — 30
3-point goals: Weaver 1 (Thompson). Fouled out: Perry. Total fouls: Ohatchee 11, Weaver 15. Officials: Miller, Stubbs, Burroughs.
Anniston 63, Talladega 49
ANNISTON — Miajah Bullock 8 0-0 17, Raven Cooley 3 1-4 7, Carlina Welch 0 0-2 0, Davia Palmer 5 0-4 10, Keandra Finley 6 1-2 13, Amonya Dudley 0 0-0 0, Carsheuna Curry 5 2-4 12, J’Kyra Simmons 1 0-0 2, Jemya Bulock 2 0-0 2. Totals 29 4-16 63.
TALLADEGA – T’Nigera Wright 0 1-2 1, Tiona Roberson 0 0-0 0, Gabby Johnson 8 2-2 23, Kylia Stamps 1 0-3 3, Mahogany Hartley 2 1-2 5, Jada Reynolds 7 0-3 15, Nakira Truss 1 0-0 2, Korrenya Miller 0 0-0 0, Camille Buckhanon 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 4-12 49
Anniston 11 17 16 19 — 63
Talladega 15 6 14 14 — 49
3-point goals: Anniston 1 (Bullock); Talladega 7 (G. Johnson 5, Stamps, Reynolds). Total fouls: Anniston 14, Talladega. Officials: Miller, Stubbs, Burroughs.
Cedar Bluff 62, Jacksonville Christian 42
CEDAR BLUFF – Alexia Moten 1 2-4 6, Matison Bedwell 0 0-0 0, Kiana Dobbins 4 5-6 13, Julianna Wilson 0 1-2 1, Emily Goss 0 0-0 0, Diamonds Moore 1 0-0 3, Delilah Price 8 0-2 17, LaQuesha Alford 0 0-0 0, Marigrace Wilson 4 1-2 10, Hannah Cosby 0 0-0 0, Alexis Smith 4 0-0 10, Ollina McClellan 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 9-16 62.
JCA (12-7) – Joeley Cupp 4 0-0 12, Hayley Moses 0 0-4 0, Briah Cupp 2 2-2 6, Sarah Crook 4 3-4 11, Kylie Cupp 0 0-0 0, Olivia Jones 2 0-0 4, Kayla Barnes 3 0-0 7, Sidney Hancock 1 0-1 2. Totals 16 5-11 42.
Cedar Bluff 21 14 14 13 — 62
JCA 13 10 9 10 — 42
3-point goals: Cedar Bluff 5 (Moore, Price, Wilson, Smith 2); JCA 5 (J. Cupp 4, Barnes). Total fouls: Cedar Bluff 16, JCA 13. Officials: Crawford, Strott, Kelley.
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