All Tori-ed up
- Updated: January 19, 2019
Game officials separate Ohatchee star Vice from her favorite headband, so she took it out on Donoho; JCA flexes muscle against Wellborn
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
PIEDMONT – The game officials made Tori Vice mad before the game so she took it out on the opponent on the floor.
During pregame warmups for the Ohatchee girls’ county tournament opener with Donoho, the referees told the sophomore scoring machine she couldn’t wear her signature black lace-up headband because she had no place to tuck the flyaway laces.
The edict brought her to tears.
Somebody was going to pay. And that somebody was the Lady Falcons as Vice went off for 26 points in a 55-33 Ohatchee victory.
“They told me I couldn’t wear it because of the strings hanging out of the back; I forgot to tuck them in,” she said. “I tried to tuck them in, but they wouldn’t let me. Last year when I played without it I just played really bad, but this year I think I’ve overcome that.
“At the start I was mad I couldn’t wear it but then I just forgot about it and played the game.”
Vice scored 10 points in the first quarter with two 3-pointers, then had four in each of the next two quarters and eight in the fourth. There was an anxious moment in the second half when she went to the floor with a leg injury, but she returned to the game a short while later and showed no sign of an issue after the game.
The 10th-seeded Lady Indians play No. 7 Alexandria in the second round 6 p.m. Monday at Jacksonville State. Expect Vice to be wearing the headband.
“I’m going to have it tucked in,” she promised.
It was a big night for another young Ohatchee player with a big upside. Eighth-grader Jorda Crook was making her Calhoun County Tournament debut and she scored 14 points in her coming-out party.
“For the next five years I’m looking forward to seeing that,” Ginn said. “I thought she did a really good job. For a first time, it was pretty good.”
For her part, Crook thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“I was nervous and everything, but there’s a first time for everything and it was good,” she said.
Ohatchee 55, Donoho 33
DONOHO (1-13) – Victoria O’Neill 4 0-0 10, Shelly Phillips 0 2-2 2, Campbell Hagan 3 2-4 8, Savannah Frickey 3 0-0 7, Amelia Baker 0 0-0 0, Anastasia O’Neill 0 1-2 1, Lillie Mae Sherman 0 0-0 0, Jenna Stremmel 1 2-3 5. Totals 11 7-11 33.
OHATCHEE (10-11) – Gracyn Snow 1 0-0 3, Jazmine Adams 1 2-4 5, Tori Vice 10 3-8 26, Gracie George 2 0-2 4, Millie Rainwater 1 0-0 3, Regan Snow 0 0-0 0, Jorda Crook 5 4-8 14. Totals 20 9-22 55.
Donoho 12 7 5 9 – 33
Ohatchee 13 15 16 11 – 55
3-point goals: Donoho 4 (V. O’Neill 2, Frickey, Stremmel); Ohatchee 6 (G. Snow, Adams, Vice 3, Rainwater). Fouled out: Phillips. Total fouls: Donoho 17, Ohatchee 13. Officials: Williams, Holston, Kendell.
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 54, WELLBORN 18
The 11th-seeded Lady Thunder’s new approach to the game is pushing the tempo, rebounding and getting all the loose balls and they seemed to do just that while overwhelming Wellborn in their opening-round game. They now now plas No. 6 White Plains 3 p.m. Monday at Jacksonville State.
Kylie Cupp led the way with a full box score. She scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five steals, four assists and three blocked shots. She left the game to a standing ovation after starting fourth quarter to help settle the young reserves in their first county tournament experience.
“I just came in and was ready to play,” Cupp said. “I always want to win. That’s my No. 1 goal and I always give it all I have. I love winning, that’s always the best. I’m ready for the next game. I hope we win. If we play with all we’ve got I think we can do it.”
She said the curtain call made her feel “pretty special.”
JCA went out fast, opening an 18-6 lead, then held Wellborn to two points in the second quarter while making it 30-8 at halftime. Rebekah Carter had six points in the first quarter and gave JCA a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“Our thing has been about being the aggressor,” JCA coach Katie Bryant said. “In the area we are a lot of time we’re the ones being gotten after, so we’re trying to change our mentality, change our focus, to where we come out getting after people.”
JCA 54, Wellborn 18
WELLBORN (1-17) – Itiania Weatherly 6-26 2-6 14, Alyssa Morgan 1-1 0-0 2, Amaya Myles 1-4 0-0 2, Arissa Nolley 0-1 0-0 0, Cloie Adkison 0-3 0-0 0, Annelies Boot 0-4 0-0 0, Rebecca Salter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 8-40 2-6 18.
JCA (14-8) – Kylie Cupp 7-23 1-3 19, Rebekah Carter 6-7 0-0 12, Elizabeth Goss 3-8 1-2 8, Sidney Hancock 3-10 1-2 7, Karli Barnwell 0-1 7-8 7, Mia Morales 0-11 1-2 1, Kara Grace 0-0 0-0 0, Jacie Brackett 0-4 0-0 0, Hannah Clayton 0-2 0-0 0, Madison Skinner 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Sanders 0-2 0-0 0, Kristen Walker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-68 11-17 54.
Wellborn 6 2 7 3 – 18
JCA 18 12 24 0 – 54
3-point goals: Wellborn 0-4 (Weatherly 0-3, Salter 0-1); JCA 5-26 (Cupp 4-16, Goss 1-2, Hancock 0-1, Barnwell 0-1, Morales 0-2, Brackett 0-3, Clayton 0-1). Rebounds: Wellborn 34 (Nolley 8, Weatherly 6); JCA 50 (Carter 10, Cupp 9, Goss 8). Total fouls: Wellborn 14, JCA 7. Officials: Kizzire, Livingston, Hodge.
Ohatchee 55, Donoho 33
DONOHO (1-13) – Victoria O’Neill 4 0-0 10, Shelly Phillips 0 2-2 2, Campbell Hagan 3 2-4 8, Savannah Frickey 3 0-0 7, Amelia Baker 0 0-0 0, Anastasia O’Neill 0 1-2 1, Lillie Mae Sherman 0 0-0 0, Jenna Stremmel 1 2-3 5. Totals 11 7-11 33.
OHATCHEE (10-11) – Gracyn Snow 1 0-0 3, Jazmine Adams 1 2-4 5, Tori Vice 10 3-8 26, Gracie George 2 0-2 4, Millie Rainwater 1 0-0 3, Regan Snow 0 0-0 0, Jorda Crook 5 4-8 14. Totals 20 9-22 55.
Donoho 12 7 5 9 – 33
Ohatchee 13 15 16 11 – 55
3-point goals: Donoho 4 (V. O’Neill 2, Frickey, Stremmel); Ohatchee 6 (G. Snow, Adams, Vice 3, Rainwater). Fouled out: Phillips. Total fouls: Donoho 17, Ohatchee 13. Officials: Williams, Holston, Kendell.
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