Now Wellborn waits

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: January 11, 2017

Girls roundup: Lady Panthers clinch a share of area title, now await either an upset or coin flip to determine top seed and area tournament host

Wellborn’s Vanessa Carter (3) led all scorers with the Lady Panthers’ game against Ohatchee with 16 points. On the cover, Itiania Weatherly (15) comes in to make a play on Ally McCoy. (Photos by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)

By East Alabama Sports Today

The Wellborn girls basketball team has done all it could to secure a favorable seeding in the upcoming area tournament. Now all the Lady Panthers can do is wait.

Wellborn clinched at least a share of first in its three-team area Tuesday with a 50-35 victory over Ohatchee.

If Weaver beats Ohatchee Friday night, the race will finish in a dead-heat and it will take a coin flip between the Lady Panthers and Bearcats to determine the No. 1 seed and area tournament host.

A No. 1 seed in a three-team area will guarantee that team a spot in the Class 3A sub-regionals.

“We’ve done all we could do,” said Wellborn coach Shanese Morgan, back on the bench after missing the Weaver game with the flu. “I think we’re in a great situation right now. All I can hope for is I’m on the positive side of the coin flip.”

The Lady Panthers had control of this one after opening a 16-3 first-quarter lead. Ohatchee’s Ashley Phillips scored 11 of her team-high 14 points in the second quarter to give them something to think about, but the Lady Panthers were able to keep the Tribe at arm’s length the rest of the game.

Vanessa Carter led Wellborn with 16 points, while Itiania Weatherly continued to give the Lady Panthers inspired minutes. Playing her fourth game with an infected index finger, Weatherly scored 12 points and was active on the floor.

“No matter what she pushes through,” Morgan said. “I just have to commend her for her non-stop energy and determination. She’s going to play no matter what. She’s a real trooper, a go-getter, and I’m happy to have her on the team.”

Wellborn 50, Ohatchee 35
OHATCHEE — Ashley Phillips 5 0-2 14, Jazmine Adams 2 0-0 6, Tori Vice 0 0-0 0, Ally McCoy 0 0-0 0, Kourtney Shuler 2 0-0 4, Marli Hanks 0 0-0 0, Mandy Phillips 5 0-1 10, Regan Snow 0 0-0 0, Kacie Cooper 0 1-2 1, Mandy Jennings 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 1-5 35.

WELLBORN — Vanessa Carter 6 3-6 16, Anaya Lowe 0 0-2 0, McKenzie Raines 1 0-0 2, Katessa Carter 5 0-0 12, Amaya Myles 0 0-1 0, Itiania Weatherly 5 2-8 12, Jayla Lowe 0 0-0 0, Aliyah Thrasher 2 0-0 4, Rebecca Salter 0 0-0 0, Markeisha Jones 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 5-17 50.

Ohatchee 3 15 4 13 — 35
Wellborn 16 14 10 10 — 50

3-point goals: Ohatchee 6 (A. Phillips 4, Adams 2); Wellborn 3 (V. Carter, K. Carter 2). Fouled out: Cooper. Total fouls: Ohatchee 19, Wellborn 6. Officials: Miller, Kelley, Ortiz.

Talladega 82, Clay Central 40

TALLADEGA – Lady Tigers coach Jannie Keith had to get on her team at halftime and it responded in a big way with a 37-point third quarter.

Gabby Johnson scored 19 of her 23 points in the quarter as the Lady Tigers pushed their 11-point halftime lead to the fast clock in the fourth quarter. Camille Buckhanon, who struggled on the floor in the first half, had 10 of her 11 points in the third quarter.

Johnson finished with 11 steals and four assists. Buckhanon had seven blocks and 13 rebounds. Mahogany Hartley had eight assists.

Keith also gave Kylia Stamps another chance to impress and did she ever. Stamps scored 21 points and hit five 3-pointers. “I look forward to having her back in the rotation,” Keith said.

Clay Central was led by Cassie Ragland’s 21.

CLAY CENTRAL – Ashley McNeil 1 0-0 2, Alicia McNeil 1 0-0 2, Claire Daugherty 0 0-0 0, Ahnyah Denny 0 1-2 1, Cidney Daugherty 0 0-0 0, Abby Cantrell 0 0-0 0, Essence Cunningham 2 4-7 10, Cassie Ragland 8 5-5 21, Angel Jennings 2 0-0 4. Totals 14 10-14 40.

TALLADEGA – Tiona Roberson 2 1-2 6, Gabby Johnson 9 2-2 23, Mahogany Hartley 1 2-6 4, Brooklyn Moss 2 0-0 5, Deja Porter 2 0-0 4, Nakira Truss 1 0-0 2, Mary Scales 0 0-0 0, KaDaysha McKenzie 2 0-0 6, LorryNya Miller 0 0-0 0, Imani Booker 0 0-0 0, Camille Buckhanon 3 5-6 11, Kylia Stamps 8 0-0 21. Totals 30 10-16 82.

Clay Central 6 14 11 9 — 40
Talladega 13 18 37 14 — 82

3-point goals: Clay Central 2 (Cunningham 2); Talladega 12 (Roberson, Johnson 3, Moss, McKenzie 2, Stamps 5). Technical fouls: Stamps. Total fouls: Clay Central 13, Talladega 15. Officials: Wood, Brown, Walker.

Anniston 76, Saks 6

Miajah Bullock scored 24 points, grabbed nine and dealt six assists and Anniston held Saks scored in the middle two periods. Toniah Foster had 11 rebounds and three blocked shots to go with her 14 points.

SAKS – Izzy Shaver 1 0-0 2, Amya Carlisle 0 0-2 0, Takeidia Borden 0 0-2 0, Amari Neally 0 0-0 0, Summer Baxter 0 0-2 0, Miracle Dennard 1 0-2 3, Madison Tate 0 0-0 0, Alexi Petty 0 1-1 1. Totals 2 1-11 6.

ANNISTON – Miajah Bullock 10 3-9 24, Carlina Welch 2 1-4 5, Viera Edmondson 0 1-6 1, Ladajah Williams 2 0-0 4, Keandra Finley 4 0-1 8, Amoriya Dudley 1 2-5 4, Jordyn Johnson 0 0-1 0, Monteiga Clemons 1 4-6 6, Taniya Foster 0 0-0 0, Tekyia Jackson 4 0-0 8, Kiana Montgomery 1 0-0 2, Toniah Foster 7 0-0 14. Totals 32 11-32 76.

Saks 4 0 0 2 — 6
Anniston 20 18 24 14 — 76

3-point goals: Saks 1 (Dennard); Anniston 1 (Bullock). Total fouls: Saks 19, Anniston 14. Officials: Lemon, Whiteside, Stringer.

Piedmont 51, Glencoe 49

PIEDMONT – The Lady Bulldogs overcame a 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter to snap a five-game losing streak. Sydney Prater scored 11 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, including a 6-for-7 effort at the foul line. Breanna Brazier had eight of her 12, including two 3-pointers, in the fourth.

GLENCOE – Anna Grace Gooden 2 0-0 4, A.B. Giles 4 2-5 11, Abby Vice 2 2-4 6, Ashley Morgan 1 2-3 4, Kenleigh Harper 1 0-0 2, Lexi Gray 0 0-0 0, Lauren Cole 4 0-2 8, Breia Little 2 0-0 6, Lauren Moore 1 0-0 2, Aubrey Grey 0 1-3 1, Skyler Thompson 2 1-3 5, Cami Zaherscak 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 8-20 49.

PIEDMONT (6-8) – Breanna Brazier 5 0-3 12, Kaitlyn Ridley 2 1-4 5, Lulu Jackson 5 3-7 8, Camron Logan 0 0-0 0, Cassidy Jackson 0 0-0 0, Sydney Prater 5 9-13 21, Ashlin Smith 0 0-0 0, Rebecca Smart 0 0-1 0, Kiara Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 13-28 51.

Glencoe 16 16 13 4 — 49
Piedmont 10 10 6 25 — 51

3-point goals: Glencoe 3 (Little 2, Giles); Piedmont 4 (Brazier 2, Prater 2). Fouled out: Morgan. Total fouls: Glencoe 23, Piedmont 20. Officials: Stubbs, Kelley, Chambers.

Cherokee County 63, Jacksonville 43
CHEROKEE COUNTY – Kendal Perry 7-12 2-3 17, Crimson Mahannah 7-10 0-4 14, Jensen Alexander 4-9 0-0 10, Laney Johnson 3-5 0-0 7, Emily Williams 2-5 2-2 7, Coley Battles 3-4 0-0 6, Meagan McGatha 0-1 2-2 2, Ashley Acrey 0-0 0-0 0, Jordyn Starr 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-46 6-11 63.

JACKSONVILLE – Kyra Williams 7-18 0-0 15, Essence Hutchinson 4-6 1-2 11, Aniyah Robinson 3-12 1-2 9, Aniya Jefferson 2-9 0-0 4, Tatiyana Thomas 1-3 0-0 2, Maddie Hall 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 18-50 2-4 43.

Cherokee County 18 17 14 14 — 63
Jacksonville 10 18 9 6 — 43

3-point goals: Cherokee Co. 5-15 (Perry 1-4, Mahannah 0-1, Alexander 2-5, Johnson 1-2, Williams 1-2, McCatha 0-1); Jacksonville 5-17 (Williams 1-5, Hutchinson 2-4, Robinson 2-6, Thomas 0-2). Rebounds: Cherokee Co. 31 (Mahannah 7, Alexander 7); Jacksonville 25 (Jefferson 4). Total fouls: Cherokee Co. 8, Jacksonville 13.

Jacksonville Christian 72, Faith 70

Sidney Hancock scored 22 points for JCA, but the Thunder had to hold its breath for one final shot.

Faith leading scorer Emily Sills hit a long 3-pointer to get the Lady Lions within two. Teammate Kristin Covington then stole JCA’s inbounds pass, but couldn’t get a final shot off before the horn.

Sills had a game-high 23 points. The Lady Lions carried a three-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Hokes Bluff 62, White Plains 42

HOKES BLUFF – The Lady Eagles buried four of their six 3-pointers in the first quarter – and all six in the first half — to take control of the area game.

WHITE PLAINS – Rian Chandler 0 0-0 0, Hanna Dyar 0 0-0 0, Hannah Barno 3 0-0 9, Jordan Sabree 4 4-10 12, Landry Bussey 1 0-0 2, Chasity Nelson 0 0-0 0, Ary Rasario 0 1-2 1, Grey Young 1 0-0 3, Shelby Wood 4 5-9 15, Jocelyn Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 10-21 42.

HOKES BLUFF – Sydney Ball 3 2-2 11, Amanda Noah 4 2-3 10, Margaret Wetzel 2 0-0 5, Logan Black 3 0-0 8, Tylynn Register 2 6-10 10, Kelsee Otwell 0 1-4 1, Kendall Johnson 8 1-2 17. Totals 22 12-21 62.

White Plains 5 13 8 16 — 42
Hokes Bluff 19 17 11 15 — 62

3-point goals: White Plains 6 (Barno 3, Young, Wood 2); Hokes Bluff 6 (Ball 3, Wetzel, Black 2). Fouled out: Black. Total fouls: White Plains 15, Hokes Bluff 15. Officials: Harrell, Hardman, Rager.