Dream, Weaver
- Updated: December 30, 2016
Behind a big night from Rayne Beck, upstart Weaver beats host Cleburne County to move into the finals against White Plains
Weaver junior guard Rayne Beck (10) gave an inspired performance leading the Lady Bearcats into the tournament title game. (Photo by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
HEFLIN — Weaver coach Gary Atchley will tell you it’s taken a long time for his girls basketball team to get in the position it finds itself today. Maybe that’s what makes being here even more special.
The Lady Bearcats made it to the girls championship game of the Cleburne County Holiday Invitational with a convincing 47-35 victory over host Cleburne County Thursday night. They will play White Plains tonight at 6 p.m. for the title.
“We’re in the ‘ship and they’re tickled to death about it,” Atchley said. “I don’t know the last time there ever was playing in the championship of any tournament.
“We’ve been practicing and getting our tails kicked for three years to play in a game like we’re fixing to play in. We’ve been building for this. I’m tickled to death for the girls to finally experience this. I’ve had these girls since eighth grade. They deserve this.”
Cleburne County might not be the same team it was earlier in the season, before post Chelsea Parker hurt her knee, but take nothing away from the showing Weaver gave. Atchley was excited the Lady Bearcats finally executed their game plan tonight.
The Lady Bearcats got an inspired performance from Rayne Beck. The junior guard scored 15 points and pulled down 17 rebounds.
“I talk about (Caleigh) Cortez a lot, but everybody knows Rayne is the starting blood for this team. Cortez makes the team better, but we played without Rayne earlier this year and we didn’t have the same fire. Rayne brings that fire on the floor that we need.”
The road the Lady Bearcats have traveled to get where they are tonight hasn’t been lost on Beck.
“When we started on the varsity team in eighth grade, teams like that would have beaten us 100-0 in a heartbeat and we’d have been happy to score a point,” she said. “But beating teams like that now and seeing how far we’ve grown as a team and how far we’ve come is just really awesome.”
Weaver was a late entry into the tournament, a nearly last-minute replacement for Ranburne. Now it’s on the verge of winning it.
Of course, White Plains will have a lot of say about that. Just as Weaver goes behind the play of Beck and Cortez, the Lady Wildcats go behind Hannah Barno and Shelby Wood and both gave strong efforts in their semifinal win over Wellborn.
Barno hit two more 3-pointers in an eight-point night. Wood went for 21. Landry Bussey (12) and Rian Chandler (11), with three 3-pointers, also scored in double figures. The Lady Wildcats have beaten Weaver twice this season.
Weaver’s Caleigh Cortez drives to the basket against Cleburne County Thursday night. (Photo by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
White Plains 56, Wellborn 47
WELLBORN – Taliyah Kirby 0 0-0 0, Vanessa Carter 8 7-10 26, Anaya Lowe 1 0-0 2, Loni Welch 0 0-0 0, McKenzie Raines 0 0-0 0, Katessa Carter 2 1-2 6, Danasia Ackles 0 0-0 0, Itiania Weatherly 2 1-7 5, Aliyah Thrasher 1 2-2 4, Markeisha Jones 2 0-0 4. Totals 16 11-21 47.
WHITE PLAINS – Rian Chandler 4 0-0 11, Hanna Dyar 0 2-4 2, Hannah Barno 3 0-0 8, Jordan Sabree 0 0-0 0, Landry Bussey 3 6-8 12, Chasity Nelson 0 0-0 0, Ary Rosario 0 0-0 0, Shelby Wood 5 10-10 21, Jocelyn Harris 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 18-22 56.
Wellborn 13 10 13 11 — 47
White Plains 12 11 10 23 — 56
3-point goals: Wellborn 4 (V. Carter 3, K. Carter); White Plains 6 (Chandler 3, Barno 2, Wood). Technical fouls: Wellborn bench. Fouled out: K. Carter. Total fouls: Wellborn 20, White Plains 16. Officials: Miller, Dowdle, Kelley.
Weaver 47, Cleburne County 35
WEAVER – Caleigh Cortez 3 3-12 9, Tayanna Perry 0 0-0 0, Rayne Beck 6 3-6 15, Emily Reed 2 0-0 4, Amira Carter 2 0-0 4, Hannah Brodente 0 0-0 0, Mariah Thompson 4 1-4 9, Abby Gaines 3 0-0 6. Totals 20 7-22 47.
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Shawntavia Boyd 4 0-7 8, Olivia McDaniel 0 3-4 3, Erykah Ware 3 0-3 6, Lauren Brown 4 0-0 8, Kiara Akles 1 2-6 4, Abby Lee 0 0-0 0, Alex Casey 2 2-6 6, Tatiana Ervin 0 0-0 0, Kendall Houston 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 7-26 35.
Weaver 8 18 9 12 — 47
Cleburne Co. 11 6 10 8 — 35
Fouled out: Perry, Ervin. Total fouls: Weaver 18, Cleburne County 21.
White Plains’ Landry Bussey (12) steps in the path of Wellborn’s Vanessa Carter in their girls semifinal Thursday night. To see more pictures from the tournament visit www.bjfranklin.smugmug.com
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