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Thursday’s girls basketball

Saks plays its best when having fun; Titans too much for Oxford, Glencoe stays unbeaten, Donoho wins close one

Wellborn leading scorer McKenzie Raines drives to the basket after collecting a loose ball behind the Saks defense. On the cover, Saks’ Halimah Binyamin goes strong to the basket. (Photos by B.J. Franklin)

Thursday’s results
Anniston 75, Guntersville 35
Donoho 47, Cornerstone 46
Gadsden City 55, Oxford 30
Glencoe 56, Alexandria 34
Jacksonville 35, Pleasant Valley 32
Jacksonville Christian 59, Victory Christian 41
Lincoln 35, Etowah 29
Ohatchee 40, Ashville 39
Saks 40, Wellborn 30
Sand Rock 55, Spring Garden 53

By East Alabama Sports Today

Halimah Binyamin scored a season-high 16 points – six in a row during the key stretch of the third quarter that gave her team control of the game – and Saks scored its first win of the season 40-30 while spoiling the return of a former Wellborn coach to the Lady Panthers’ bench.

Binyamin was held scoreless in the Lady Wildcats’ first two games of the season, but broke out with 11 against Lincoln in their final game of the Champions Thanksgiving Classic. She reached her season high in the third quarter when she scored the first six points of an 8-0 run that took the Lady Wildcats to an 11-point lead after Wellborn cut it to three with the first basket of the second half.

“They just started playing basketball,” Saks coach Michelle Morgan said, explaining the second-half surge. “They try to do everything I ask them to do to an exact T. That’s not basketball. Have fun, play the game.

“What we draw up is just a guideline; you’ve got to react to what’s happening on the floor. If they can figure that out, they will be a great team.”

Teana Edwards also had a breakout game for the Lady Wildcats. The post turned point guard had scored 11 points in her first three games this season, but had 13, including a 3-pointer, Thursday.

McKenzie Raines led Wellborn with 15 points. She had nine in the second quarter as the Lady Panthers cut a 10-point deficit in half by halftime. Itiania Weatherly had 12 and it was her basket early in the third quarter that got them to 21-18 before Binyamin went on her run.

The game marked a return for coach Melissa Kilgore to the Wellborn bench. Kilgore played on the only Wellborn girls team to win the Calhoun County championship and coached in the mid-2000s before stepping aside to raise a family. She returned to the varsity bench this year after Shanese Morgan left for a job in Birmingham. – Al Muskewitz

Gadsden City 55, Oxford 30: The Lady Titans held Oxford to just four field goals and created 23 turnovers in the final three quarters to pull away at the Oxford Sports Arena.

Gadsden City’s Camille Jenkins led all scorers with 24 points. Justyce Smith had 17 points and eight rebounds for Oxford.

The Lady Jackets got down early 10-2 after a couple 3s from Jackson, but they bounced back to get eight points and some good board work to chop the lead to 17-15 at the break. Akiera Robinson banged home a 3 in the rally at the end of the quarter.

Defense ruled in the second quarter as both teams had seven turnovers. Smith finished the half 12 points and five rebounds for Oxford, while Jenkins had 14 to spark the Titans to their 26-21 halftime lead.

The Lady Jackets turned it over seven times again in the third quarter. Gadsden City reeled off 12 points in the row to end the quarter with a 38-25 lead. All of Oxford’s points came from the free throw line.

The Titans extended their scoring run to 17 straight points before Smith dropped in a bucket early in the fourth quarter. – Brant Locklier

Glencoe 56, Alexandria 34: Anna Grace Goodwin hit all three of her 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Lady Jackets pulled away from a close game and remained undefeated. Eleven Glencoe players scored in the game. Ashley Morgan led the way with 11, hitting 7 of 8 free throws. Goodwin had nine. Kameron Simpson led Alexandria with seven points. Kayleigh Steen hit a pair of 3-pointers for six.

Donoho 47, Cornerstone 46: The Lady Falcons held their breath as Cornerstone made the first of two free throws in the final 10 seconds and then made a defensive stop after the rebound went out of bounds to score the victory. Victoria and Anastasia O’Neill each scored 13 points to lead Donoho; Victoria hit four 3-pointers.

THURSDAY’S GIRLS BOX SCORES
Saks 40, Wellborn 30
WELLBORN (0-1) – Amaya Myles 0 0-1 0, Alyssa Morgan 0 0-0 0, Itiana Weatherly 4 4-7 12, McKenzie Raines 7 0-1 15, Arissa Nolley 0 1-2 1, Analese Boot 0 0-0 0, Chloe Adkison 0 0-0 0, Becca Salter 0 0-0 0, Kristine Haisch 1 0-2 2. Totals 12 5-13 30.
SAKS (1-3) – Amya Carlise 3 1-2 7, DeArian Stewart 0 0-2 0, Destini Elston 2 0-1 4, Takeirra Hudson 0 0-0 0, Deja Almon 0 0-2 0, Halimah Binyamin 6 4-7 16, Teana Edwards 4 4-9 13, Alicia Goodin 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 9-23 40.
Wellborn 6 10 2 12 – 30
Saks 14 7 8 11 – 40
3-point goals: Wellborn 1 (Raines); Saks 1 (Edwards). Technical fouls: Myles, Haisch. Fouled out: Haisch, Elston. Total fouls: Wellborn 21, Saks 16. Officials: Gamble, Johnson, Caldwell.

Gadsden City 55, Oxford 30
GADSDEN CITY – Tenise Johnson 1 3-3 5, Camille Jenkins 9 2-3 24, Adrianna Jones 6 0-0 13, Ajainay Tinker 0 1-2 1, Tamiya Wise 0 3-4 3, Anyia Williams 0 0-0 0, Mya Davis 0 0-6 0, Quay Garlington 0 0-0 0, Tameah Gaddis 3 2-2 9. Totals 19 11-20 55.
OXFORD – Kierstin Woods 0 0-0 0, Kaleah Taylor 0 0-0 0, Emma McCullough 0 0-0 0, Lisa Montgomery 1 1-7 3, Sara Paulson 0 0-0 0, Jamya Gibson 0 0-0 0, Ashleigh Jackson 0 1-2 1, Akiera Robinson 2 2-2 7, Lauren Ellard 0 0-0 0, Amirea McLeod 1 0-2 2, Justyce Smith 7 3-4 17. Totals 11 7-17 30.
Gadsden City 17 9 12 17 – 55
Oxford 15 6 4 5 – 30
3-point goals: Gadsden City 6 (Jenkins 4, Jones, Gaddis); Oxford 1 (Robinson). Rebounds: Gadsden City 19 (Davis 5), Oxford 36 (Smith 8, Montgomery 6).

Glencoe 56, Alexandria 34
ALEXANDRIA – Ashley Phillips 1 0-0 2, Sarah Pelham 1 0-2 2, LaToria Brewster 0 3-4 3, Kayleigh Steen 2 0-0 6, Kaitlin Harvey 1 0-0 2, Kameron Simpson 3 1-1 7, Madison Jones 1 0-0 3, Alierra Bradford 1 0-0 2, TyShica Woodgett 0 0-2 0, Janizia Ross 1 0-0 3, Makenna Smith 2 0-0 4, Maggie Phillips 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 4-9 34.
GLENCOE – Anna Claire Hipps 2 1-6 5, Adley Massenburg 0 0-2 0, Anna Grace Goodwin 3 0-2 9, Anna Beth Giles 2 2-4 6, Abby Vice 2 0-0 4, Allie Silvey 0 1-2 1, Ashley Morgan 2 7-8 11, Asia Denis 0 0-0 0, Lexi Gray 1 0-0 3, Lauren Cole 2 0-0 5, Crimson Silvey 2 0-0 4, Aubrey Gray 3 0-0 6, Cami Zahorscak 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 11-24 56.
Alexandria 10 6 5 13 – 34
Glencoe 8 23 17 8 – 56
3-point goals: Alexandria 4 (Steen 2, Jones, Ross); Glencoe 5 (Goodwin 3, L. Gray, Cole). Total fouls: Alexandria 18, Glencoe 13. Officials: Childs, Hall, Stringer.

Donoho 47, Cornerstone 46
CORNERSTONE – Destiny Thomas 3 3-4 10, Foe Penell 0 0-0 0, Alceria Lane 2 2-6 7, Morgan Bell 0 0-0 0, Kiya Cratyon 1 1-4 3, Benee Fincher 3 1-2 8, Tomei Fincher 1 0-0 3, Kimberly Roscoe 1 0-0 2, Rayonna Copelin 3 0-0 6, BreAnna Johnson 2 0-2 5, Jayde Jackson 1 0-1 2. Totals 17 7-19 46.
DONOHO – Victoria O’Neill 4 1-4 13, Shelley Phillips 1 0-0 2, Campbell Hagan 1 3-4 5, Savannah Frickey 1 2-5 5, Anastasia O’Neill 5 2-2 13, Jenna Stremmel 3 3-4 9. Totals 15 11-19 47.
Cornerstone 19 5 10 12 – 46
Donoho 15 11 5 16 – 47
3-point goals: Cornerstone 5 (Thomas, Lane, B. Fincher, T. Fincher, Johnson); Donoho 6 (V. O’Neill 4, Frickey, A. O’Neill). Technical fouls: Frickey. Total fouls: Cornerstone 20, Donoho 15. Officials: Tilbag, Smith, Roberts.

Wellborn’s Kristine Haisch (24) comes flying in in an attempt to block a shot by Saks’ DeArian Stewart in Thursday night’s area opener. (Photo by B.J. Franklin)

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