Making a point
- Updated: January 17, 2019
Girls roundup: Alexandria upsets Weaver, Ohatchee edges PV on Rainwater’s layup, Piedmont overruns Saks, and more
THURSDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Alexandria 44, Weaver 40
Cleburne County 54, Wellborn 25
Coosa Christian 67, Jacksonville Christian 58
x-Glencoe 44, Sardis 29
Ohatchee 43, Pleasant Valley 41
Piedmont 48, Saks 20
Ranburne 52, Clay Central 33
Sacred Heart 82, Talladega Co. Central 69
Winterboro 61, ASD 14
x-Etowah County Tournament
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
WEAVER – The Alexandria girls basketball team needed a win “in the worst kind of way,” and the Lady Cubs got one about as big as they come.
The Lady Cubs hadn’t necessarily been playing bad, they just hadn’t been scoring or winning.
But that changed Thursday night when Ashley Phillips banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 30 seconds left and Kayleigh Steen knocked down a free throw with 10.8 to play to lift the Lady Cubs to a 44-40 upset of Weaver, the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Calhoun County Tournament.
“We needed one,” said Alexandria coach Craig Kiker, whose team snapped a six-game losing streak. “I think we’ve been playing hard here lately, we just haven’t won. We hadn’t scored it real well.
“I didn’t need a win, for me. But for the girls it was more important for them because they practice hard and they play hard and we just hadn’t been shooting the ball real well, hadn’t been scoring real well so I think it was important for them to win. I don’t think we shot it any better tonight, I just think we got some easier shots.”
Weaver was playing without team leader Caleigh Cortez and it showed early on. Alexandria, the No. 7 seed in the upcoming tournament despite having beaten two teams seeded ahead of it, opened a 15-point lead late in the second quarter and held a 40-25 lead early in the fourth before Weaver came to life.
Weaver clawed back to tie the game 40-40 on Abby Gaines’ contested shot in the lane with 1:33 to play.
“It was a little bit deflating,” Kiker said. “We did some dumb things to let them back in the game. It wasn’t anything we didn’t know how to handle, just some mental lapses. We took care of the ball when we needed to take care of the ball.”
But nobody on the Valley Cubs’ side was panicking after Weaver tied it. In fact, Phillips took what looked like one of the most relaxed shots of the night from the top of the key to put her team back on top. The Bearcats turned over the next possession and Steen hit her free throw to bring a comfortable cushion with little time remaining.
“I just tried to stay calm,” Phillips. “I wanted it to go in, but either way I knew my team would come and rebound if I missed.”
Alexandria’s Kameron Simpson led all scorers with a career-high 21 points with many of her buckets coming on layups and runouts because, Kiker said, “everybody else did their job.” She had more than half her team’s points when her two free throws gave it the 40-25 lead.
“I think this was a very big win because it proves a point,” Simpson said. “I know Weaver’s ranked ahead of us in county, but we’ve been working hard all season and just because our record isn’t good doesn’t mean we can’t come out in County and try to do our best to win.”
Maleah Foster led Weaver with 14 points, including four rainbow 3-pointers.
Alexandria 44, Weaver 40
ALEXANDRIA (5-13) – Ashley Phillips 3 0-0 7, Sarah Pelham 1 0-0 3, LaToria Brewster 1 0-0 3, Kayleigh Steen 1 1-2 3, Kaitlin Harvey 0 0-0 0, Kameron Simpson 8 5-5 21, TyShica Woodgett 0 1-2 1, Janizia Ross 1 0-0 3, Maggie Phillips 1 0-2 2. Totals 16 7-11 44.
WEAVER (13-6) – Madison Atchley 1 0-0 2, Kiese Hubbard 1 0-0 2, Loralei Brown 0 0-0 0, Maleah Foster 5 0-0 14, Trinity Pulliam 1 0-0 2, Dijinea Anderson 0 0-0 0, Abby Gaines 2 0-2 5, Amira Carter 2 3-6 7, Haley Homesley 3 2-2 8. Totals 15 5-10 50.
Alexandria 12 13 11 8 – 44
Weaver 2 16 7 15 – 40
3-point goals: Alexandria 5 (A. Phillips, Pelham, Brester, Steen, Ross); Weaver 5 (Foster 4, Gaines). Fouled out: Pulliam. Total fouls: Alexandria 18, Weaver 13. Officials: Roberts, Stringer, Warren.
OHATCHEE 43, PLEASANT VALLEY 41
OHATCHEE – Freshman Millie Rainwater took a pass from Jazmine Adams and drove the baseline for a layup with six seconds left and the Lady Indians held off a final shot to score the upset.
PV’s Emma Hood surpassed 1,000 career points in the game. She reached the milestone with a free throw in the fourth quarter. She scored 16 points in the game and now has 1,002 for her career.
Ohatchee set up its winning play during a timeout after grabbing a rebound with 20 seconds to play. Adams got the ball and found Rainwater near the left corner. Rainwater drove the baseline, beat one defender, ducked under Chandler Dorsett and made the basket.
“They had kind of been outplaying our side out-of-bounds play and we switched up,” Ohatchee coach Bryant Ginn said. “Millie got it and nobody was there; she kept going.
“I’ve been talking to our guards about keep going to the basket and attacking it. Millie kept going and laid it up. I guess I was shocked that it was there. I thought they were going to step over and help. They took away Jorda (Crook). I’m just glad Millie kept going.”
The Lady Raiders had a chance to tie it, but Rylee Haynes’ layup missed the mark and PV couldn’t corral the loose ball as time expired.
“If they had hit it I’d have been gut-wrenched,” Ginn said. “We were going to double whoever came to the basket. We just came out and she kind of beat us. I told them no 3s. We didn’t step over and I think it shocked the girl so much she threw it over the backboard.”
The Lady Raiders did good job containing another opposing top scorer, frustrating Tori Vice into early foul trouble and holding her to five points, but Crook, an eighth-grader, made up the difference, coming back from early foul trouble to score 17 points. She had 15 in the second half, including a steal and layup in the fourth quarter to put Ohatchee up three.
“She gives us a ton of energy, a ton of athleticism,” Ginn said.
Gracie George scored all eight of Ohatchee’s points in the first quarter and finished with 13 in the game.
Ohatchee 43, Pleasant Valley 41
PLEASANT VALLEY (13-9) – Brooke Perry 1 0-0 2, Lindsey Pritchett 3 1-2 8, Rylee Haynes 1 1-4 3, Chandler Dorsett 2 0-0 6, Emma Hood 5 6-14 16, Karmyn Sparks 3 0-3 6. Totals 15 8-23 41.
OHATCHEE (9-11) – Graycn Snow 1 0-2 2, Jazmine Adams 1 0-0 2, Tori Vice 2 1-2 5, Gracie George 6 1-1 13, Millie Rainwater 2 0-0 4, Regan Snow 0 0-0 0, Jorda Crook 6 5-9 17. Totals 18 7-14 43.
Pleasant Valley 5 12 12 12 – 41
Ohatchee 8 10 14 11 – 43
3-point goals: Pleasant Valley 3 (Pritchett, Dorsett 2). Fouled out: R. Snow. Total fouls: Pleasant Valley 14, Ohatchee 23. Officials: Moorhouse, Daffron, Barber.
PIEDMONT 53, SAKS 20
Kayley Kirk scored 23 points, Lele Ridley had 12, Sydney Prater 11 and the Lady Bulldogs’ defense held Saks to four points in the middle two quarters. Kirk had 15 points at halftime as Piedmont opened a 33-8 lead.
PIEDMONT (9-9) – Cayla Parris 0 0-0 0, Kayley Kirk 6 8-12 23, Lele Ridley 5 2-4 12, Hannah Barbee 0 0-0 0, Armoni Perry 0 0-0 0, McKenzie Tolbert 1 0-0 3, Sadie Naugher 0 0-0 0, Madison Tyree 0 0-0 0, Z’Hayla Walker 2 0-0 4, Sydney Prater 5 1-2 11, Kiara Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 11-18 53.
SAKS (2-15) – Amya Carlise 2 0-0 5, Penelope Dudley 0 0-0 0, DeAvian Stewart 0 1-2 1, Takierra Hudson 0 0-0 0, Deja Almon 0 0-0 0, Halimah Binyamin 3 1-4 7, Alicia Gooden 2 0-0 6, Destini Elston 0 0-2 0, Teana Edwards 0 1-2 1. Totals 7 3-10 20
Piedmont 12 21 13 7 – 53
Saks 6 2 2 10 – 20
3-point goals: Piedmont 4 (Kirk 3, Tolbert); Saks 3 (Carlise, Gooden 2). Total fouls: Piedmont 7, Saks 15.
SACRED HEART 82, TALLADEGA CO. CENTRAL 69
Ayanna Foster scored 35 points as Sacred Heart won its sixth in a row. Foster scored 15 in the second quarter to help the Lady Cardinals stretch a two-point lead to 13 at halftime. Alisia Person and Myiah Harris had 13 each for the winners.
Sacred Heart 82, Talladega Co. Central 69
TCC (16-7) – Devona Gover 8 4-8 20, Ja’Miya Whitson 0 2-2 2, Alisha Morris 2 0-1 4, Danyia Maple 3 2-2 8, Davionna Stockdale 2 2-2 6, Evianna Johnson 5 7-9 18, Anysiah Taylor 1 3-6 5, Janyia Wallace 1 0-0 2, Amiya Sillmon 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 20-30 69.
SACRED HEART (18-2) – Alisia Person 4 3-8 13, Myiah Harris 4 2-2 13, Ayanna Foster 14 7-13 35, Cearia Jenkins 3 0-0 8, Joelle Tillery 0 0-0 0, Jordan Sabree 2 0-2 4, Serena Hardy 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Bell 0 0-2 0, Taysia West 2 5-7 9. Totals 29 17-34 82.
TCC 9 18 24 18 – 69
Sacred Heart 11 29 18 24 – 82
3-point goals: Sacred Heart 7 (Person 2, Harris 3, Jenkins 2); TCC 1 (Johnson). Fouled out: Stockdale. Total fouls: Sacred Heart 25, TCC 20. Officials: Davis, Strong, Macon.
COOSA CHRISTIAN 67, JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 58
JACKSONVILLE – Coosa’ India Brown and JCA’s Sidney Hancock were staging their own individual shootout, but the Lady Conquerors had just a little bit more overall. Hancock led JCA with 23 points. Brown started off a bit slower than Hancock, but wound up leading all scorers with 25 and Coosa had two other scorers in double figures.
Coosa Christian 67, JCA 58
COOSA (14-10) – Claire Davidson 3 5-8 11, Sydnee Courington 3 0-0 6, Kaylie Reeves 3 0-0 9, Bell Millirons 6 1-3 13, Gemma Littlejohn 0 0-0 0, Emma Justus 1 1-2 3, India Brown 11 1-3 25. Totals 27 8-16 67.
JCA (13-8) – Karli Barnwell 3 0-0 8, Kylie Cupp 6 6-12 19, Mia Morales 1 0-0 3, Elizabeth Goss 0 0-0 0, Rebekah Carter 2 1-4 5, Sidney Hancock 9 3-8 23.
Totals 21 10-24 58.
Coosa 22 25 8 12 – 67
JCA 15 10 17 16 – 58
3-point goals: Coosa 5 (Reeves 3, Brown 2); JCA 6 (Barnwell 2, Cupp, Morales, Hancock 2). Fouled out: Davidson, Carter. Total fouls: Coosa 22, JCA 15. Officials: Burroughs, Watson, Batey.
CLEBURNE COUNTY 54, WELLBORN 25
Haley Price hit four of her team’s seven 3-pointers and scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Lady Tigers. Olivia McDaniel scored all 11 of her points in the first half as the Lady Tigers opened a 26-10 lead. Cleburne County now awaits the result of Friday night’s Talladega-Lincoln game to learn its fate in its area standings.
Cleburne County 54, Wellborn 25
CLEBURNE COUNTY (15-10) – Olivia McDaniel 5 1-2 11, Haven Freeman 1 0-0 2, Haley Price 6 1-3 17, Kendall Houston 1 0-0 2, Jacy Littleton 3 1-1 8, Brooklyn McDaniel 3 0-0 8, Shanna Brown 0 0-0 0. Haley Roberts 3 0-1 6, Lili Henson 0 0-0 0, Annie Brown 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 3-7 54.
WELLBORN (1-15) – Amaya Myles 0 1-3 1, Alyssa Morgan 0 1-2 1, Itiania Weatherly 7 3-11 18, McKenzie Raines 1 1-2 3, Arissa Nolley 0 0-0 0, Annelies Boot 0 0-1 0, Cloie Adkison 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 6-19 25.
Cleburne County 11 15 14 14 – 54
Wellborn 7 3 12 3 – 25
3-point goals: Cleburne County 7 (Price 4, Littleton, B. McDaniel 2); Wellborn 1 (Weatherly). Fouled out: Myles. Total fouls: Cleburne County 18, Wellborn 13. Officials: Hinkle, Hollingsworth, Miller.
Etowah County Tournament
GLENCOE 44, SARDIS 29
BOAZ – The Lady Jackets used a balanced scoring attack and 20-of-28 shooting from the free throw line to reach the championship game of the Etowah County Tournament. Glencoe had no scorer in double figures, but had eight players in the scoring column. Anna Beth Giles and Aubrey Gray had nine points apiece. The eighth-ranked 3A Lady Jackets will play No. 8 5A Southside Friday in the championship game.
Glencoe 44, Sardis 29
GLENCOE (13-7) – Anna Claire Hipps 1 0-2 2, Anna Grace Goodwin 2 2-2 7, Anna Beth Giles 2 4-6 9, Abby Vice 0 5-6 5, Alie Silvey 0 0-0 0, Ashley Morgan 2 0-0 4, Lauren Cole 1 2-4 4, Aubrey Gray 3 3-4 9, Cami Zahorscak 4. Totals 11 20-28 44.
SARDIS (11-4) – Hailey Hill 0 2-4 2, Harlee Vincent 0 0-2 0, Mallory Wills 0 0-0 0, Madison Langley 1 0-1 2, Alexis Henderson 0 0-0 0, Jade Brooks 1 2-2 4, Kaylee Harraid 2 0-0 5, Kaitlyn Morris 3 6-10 12, Emily-kate Jones 2 0-0 4. Totals 9 10-19 29.
Glencoe 10 10 13 11 – 44
Sardis 10 1 11 7 – 29
3-point goals: Glencoe 2 (Goodwin, Giles); Sardis 1 (Harraid). Technical fouls: A. Silvey. Fouled out: Harraid. Total fouls: Glencoe 17, Sardis 20. Officials: Howell, Kelly, Cortney.
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