Up for grabs
- Updated: January 22, 2022
Girls roundup: Alexandria cruises past St. Clair County to force coin toss for area’s No. 1 seed; JCA, Cleburne County win, Brown closing in on 1,000
SATURDAY GIRLS GAMES
Alexandria 59, St. Clair County 39
Cleburne County 58, Piedmont 42
Jacksonville Christian 54, Coosa Christian 29
Cherokee County Tournament
Spring Garden 57, Sand Rock 41
Talladega County Tournament
Talladega 56, Talladega Co. Central 46
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
When it comes to coin tosses, Alexandria girls basketball coach Craig Kiker says he’s a tails man, but he also admits the only time he’s been involved in one as a coach he didn’t call it.
But in that one time, his team got the benefit of the toss.
He’s hoping that good fortune follows him again Wednesday when the Lady Cubs go to Lincoln to flip with Moody for the No. 1 seed and right to host the Class 5A Area 11 girls tournament.
They put themselves in that position by polishing off St. Clair County 59-39 to secure a share of the regular-season area title.
“We kind of made it a little stressful there in the third and early in the fourth, but it was good to win,” Kiker said.
The only other time Kiker had been involved in a coin toss, the Lady Cubs were in a tie with Southside. The Lady Panthers called the wrong side of the coin giving Alexandria the home court advantage but then the Lady Cubs lost in the area tournament.
“We’ll see what happens,” Kiker said.
The Lady Cubs (12-8) took control of this game early. They broke away from a 2-2 tie with a 16-2 run to the end of the first quarter, giving up only two free throws.
The Lady Saints got back within eight midway through the third quarter, but the Lady Cubs turned back the threat by burying four straight 3s from four different players and carried a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter.
“Jill (Cockrell) and Chloe (Gattis) both shot it good and they hadn’t been shooting it good, but they’re good shooters, so it’s kind of outrageous that they hadn’t been because I watch them shoot every day in practice,” Kiker said. “We’ve just been kind of waiting on them to get going. It helps being in our gym, too.”
The Lady Cubs hit eight 3s in the game. Cockrell, who favors calling heads in a coin toss, hit their first two and had four in the game to finish with 12 points. Gattis hit a pair from outside the arc and also had 12 points.
Ashley Phillips, who hit the first 3 in that key third-quarter flurry, led the Lady Cubs with 17 points. She had 10 in the first quarter.
“I was just feeling today, I guess,” Cockrell said. “I’ve been working on my shot.”
Alexandria 59, St. Clair County 39
ST. CLAIR COUNTY – Devin Whitfield 0 0-2 0, Nia Green 2 0-0 4, Keaira Hollingsworth 2 0-0 4, Kayden Shepherd 4 0-0 11, jaden Thomas 1 0-0 2, Sydne Pope 2 0-2 4, Tamya Knox 0 0-0 0, Lena Lameche 1 0-0 2, Jayla Whitsey 5 2-4 12. Totals 17 2-8 39.
ALEXANDRIA (12-8, 5-1) – Ashley Phillips 6 4-4 17, Jordyn Walker 3 1-3 8, Kirsten Heathcock 1 1-2 3, Jill Cockrell 4 0-0 12, Charlee Parris 0 0-0 0, Kailey Dickerson 1 2-4 4, Sumira Duncan 0 1-2 1, Pressley Slaton 1 0-0 2, Chloe Gattis 2 6-10 12. Totals 18 15-25 59.
St. Clair County 4 13 12 10 – 39
Alexandria 18 12 19 10 – 59
3-point goals: St. Clair County 3 (Shepherd 3); Alexandria 8 (Phillips, Walker, Cockrell 4, Gattis 2). Total fouls: St. Clair County 20, Alexandria 13. Officials: Kelley, Caldwell, Poss.
CLEBURNE COUNTY 58, PIEDMONT 42: Brooklyn McDaniel scored 23 points and Faith Brown had 15 as the Lady Tigers inched closer to a 20-win season and Brown inched closer to 1,000 career points.
Brown needs 22 points to join teammates McDaniel and Hailey Price in the club. The Lady Tigers (19-5) return an in-school game to Clay Central on Monday and host Anniston Tuesday.
LeLe Ridley, who also joined the 1,000-point club over the Christmas break, led Piedmont with 17 points. Gracie Naugher hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter and finished with 11 points.
Cleburne County 58, Piedmont 42
CLEBURNE COUNTY (19-5) – Faith Brown 7 1-3 15, Makenzie Frames 2 0-0 6, Karley Boyd 0 0-2 0, Alyssa Hunt 3 0-0 7, Brooklyn McDaniel 6 10-11 23, Libby Altman 3 0-0 7. Totals 21 11-16 58.
PIEDMONT (11-9) – Jasie Young 0 1-2 1, Jaycee Glover 1 0-1 3, LeLe Ridley 3 10-15 17, Carson Young 1 0-0 2, Gracie Naugher 4 0-0 11, Z’Hayla Walker 2 1-3 5, Emily Farmer 1 0-0 3. Totals 12 12-21 42.
Cleburne County 15 14 14 15 – 58
Piedmont 6 7 20 9 – 42
3-point goals: Cleburne County 5 (Frames 2, Hunt, McDaniel, Altman); Piedmont 6 (Glover, Ridley, Naugher 3, Farmer). Fouled out: Brown. Total fouls: Cleburne County 15, Piedmont 11. Officials: Hinkle, Dyar, Warren.
JCA 54, COOSA CHRISTIAN 29: Erin Prater scored a team-high 17 points and Kara Grace recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Thunder (8-10, 3-4). Hannah Clayton (11) and Addy Lee (10) also scored in double figures for JCA. They each also had five steals and three rebounds.
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