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- Updated: January 28, 2023
Girls roundup: Ranburne avoids the tiebreakers by beating Pleasant Valley to earn top seed in Class 2A Area 9; Oxford earns share in its area
FRIDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Clay Central 51, Jemison 24
Cleburne County 47, Woodland 43
Collinsville 68, Gaylesville 21
Glencoe at Faith Christian
Handley 45, Anniston 33
Jacksonville Christian 51, Wellborn 44
Ohatchee 69, Alexandria 36
Oxford 70, Gadsden City 31
Ranburne 68, Pleasant Valley 58
Randolph County 61, Dadeville 31
Southside 70, Lincoln 33
Spring Garden 81, Ider 29
Talladega at Munford
Weaver 49, Saks 47
White Plains 41, Piedmont 34
Winterboro 72, Wadley 61
St. Clair County Tournament
At Moody
Moody 72, Victory Christian 28
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE – Neither Marcus Harrell or Briley Merrill ever cared much for coin flips. Something about having control of one’s destiny and not leaving anything to chance. They were something to be avoided, Merrill said, “at all costs.”
Now, the Ranburne girls basketball team doesn’t have to worry about it after putting away Pleasant Valley 68-58 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Class 2A Area 9 tournament and automatically claim a spot into the subregion tournament.
Had PV won, the teams would have tied for the area tournament’s top seed and hosting rights and opened the door for the traditional resolution of the deepest of tiebreakers in the only three-team area in Class 2A. It might not have gotten that deep, given a newly implemented tiebreaker involving outside competition within a team’s classification that apparently is catching some coaches by surprise.
But thanks to a fast start and a big second half by Merrill to turn back the Lady Raiders when they got back in it, the Lady Bulldogs don’t have worry about it anymore.
“I don’t want to take a 50-50 shot on anything if I can help it,” Harrell said. “Leave it up just to a flip would have been a tough thing to do. This is a tough place to play, just a tough environment. They’re team is really tough, a really good team. We’re definitely glad it’s going back to our place for the area tournament, for sure.
“We were in a coin toss last year with Lanett’s girls and we lost it, had to go to their place and wound up losing. I don’t like to leave things up to chance. If we can control our own destiny, that’s something we definitely need to do.”
With Brylee Bailey and Jadie Phillips making things happen early with their scoring and rebounding, Harrell’s Lady Bulldogs jumped out to as much as a 14-point lead in the first half. But Pleasant Valley rallied behind Macey Roper and Rebekah Gannaway to get within three to five points on numerous occasions in the second half.
But every time they did, Merrill was there to keep them at arm’s length. Gannaway got PV within five with 1:55 left in the third quarter, Merrill answered with two free throws and a bucket, and then had the assist on Aubree Anglin’s 3-pointer to push the lead back to 12.
Gannaway knocked it back to six, then Merrill scored six of the next eight points. Both times Roper and Ella Kate Parris made it a three-point game midway through the fourth quarter Merrill was there again. She later helped ice the game with six points in the final minute.
Merrill finished with 34 points, and after shaking the foul trouble she had in the first half, scored 25 points in the second half and 17 in the fourth quarter.
“She just came through clutch, like she’s been all year,” Harrell said. “She’s as solid as it gets and she did exactly what I expected her to do.”
“I just knew I had to push it in transition and either make them let me have an open shot or make them foul me,” Merrill said.
The Lady Bulldogs held their own despite missing a starter and sixth man for various reasons and had to, as Harrell said, “come up with some things.”
Bailey had five points and eight rebounds. Phillips had 12 points – 10 in the first half – and seven boards.
Roper led Pleasant Valley with 30, 18 in the second half. Gannaway scored nine of her 10 in the second half. The Lady Raiders now must beat Woodland in the area tournament’s 2-3 game to get to the subregion.
RANBURNE – Autumn Lovvorn 0 0-0 0, Autumn Phillips 1 2-2 4, Briley Merrill 11 12-18 34, Aubree Anglin 5 1-4 13, Brylee Bailey 2 1-4 5, Jadie Phillips 4 3-3 12. Totals 23 19-31 68.
PLEASANT VALLEY – Macey Roper 12 6-9 30, Rebekah Gannaway 4 2-5 10, Kianna Hester 2 0-0 6, Laney Robinson 2 1-2 5, Lilly Robinson 0 0-0 0, Haylie Lee 2 0-0 5, Ella Kate Parris 1 0-0 2, Alexa Cranmer 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 9-16 58.
Ranburne 18 13 14 13 – 68
Pleasant Valley 11 8 16 23 – 58
3-point goals: Ranburne 3 (Anglin 2, J. Phillips); Pleasant Valley 3 (Hester 2, Lee). Fouled out: E. Parris. Total fouls: Ranburne 15, Pleasant Valley 22. Officials: McCord, Royster, Wilson.
OXFORD 70, GADSDEN CITY 31: Oxford led 33-18 at halftime and blew the game open with 26-point third quarter, positioning itself for a tiebreaker to see which of the two teams would play host to the Class 6A, Area 13 tournament.
Gadsden City, missing center Jaedyn Sharp, who sat out with a minor injury, beat Oxford earlier this season.
Fresh off of winning the Calhoun County tournament for the second year in a row, Oxford went 2-0 this week.
“Our defensive intensity was really good tonight,” Oxford coach Melissa Bennett said. “We had a good bit of defense that led to offense, so it was a lot of key for what we’re doing.
“We stuck to the game plan and shut them down offensively, made sure when they did score, it was off of offensive rebounds.”
Oxford also had Senior Night ceremonies for Shaniya Calloway, Keziah Mickler, LaMya McGrue and Justice Woods. – Joe Medley
GADSDEN CITY – Destiny Whiteside 2 1-3 6, Ajainay Tinker 8 1-3 21, Aniya Williams 1 2-2 4, Kelis Russell 0 0-2 0, Karleigh Sheffield 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 4-10 31.
OXFORD – Xai Whitfield 7 0-2 16, Justice Woods 6 2-3 14, Keziah Mickler 1 0-0 3, LaMya McGrue 6 6-7 19, JaMea Gaston 2 0-0 5, Shaniya Calloway 1 0-0 3, Kaylen Kenney 3 0-0 6, Shay Montgomery 1 2-3 4. Totals 27 10-15 70.
Gadsden City 7 11 10 3 – 31
Oxford 17 16 26 11 – 70
3-point goals: Gadsden City 5 (Whiteside, Tinker 4); Oxford 6 (Whitfield 2, Mickler, McGrue, Gaston, Calloway). Total fouls: Gadsden City 18, Oxford 15. Officials: Jarrett, Holloway, Kelley.
WEAVER 49, SAKS 47: Aaliyah Marks led the way for Weaver, hitting three 3-pointers en route to 17 points. Madison Atchley hit a 3 and finished with 11 points. They both scored five points in the 16-point fourth-quarter rally that carried the Lady Bearcats to the area victory.
Saks got a game-high 18 points from Saniya Angel, who hit two 3. Meorri English added 10.
“We played strong defensively in the second half and finally had some buckets drop,” Weaver coach Jamie Burns said. “(D.J.) Gibbs really played big defensively tonight. It was an overall team effort to hold them off and fight to get the lead back.”
WEAVER – Erionna Richmond 4 2-7 10, D.J. Gibbs 2 6-10 8, Aaliyah Marks 6 2-2 17, Madison Atchley 3 3-5 11, Kimora Miles 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 13-24 49.
SAKS – Alonna Crews 1 0-0 3, Sania Angel 7 2-3 18, Meorri English 4 1-2 10, Madison Turner 3 1-6 7, Jada Foster 0 0-2 0, Camrie Denham 1 0-0 3, J. Carter 3 1-2 7. Totals 19 5-15 47.
Weaver 12 9 12 16 – 49
Saks 14 13 10 11 – 47
3-point goals: Weaver 4 (Marks 3, Atchley 1); Saks 4 (Angel 2, Crews, English). Total fouls: Weaver 15, Saks 20. Fouled out: H. Williams, Turner. Officials: Tillary, McCombs, Wright.
WHITE PLAINS 41, PIEDMONT 34: After being dominated in the third quarter, White Plains turned the tables in the fourth and rallied for the victory.
Cooper Martin scored eight of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, including 5-of-8 from the free throw line, as the Lady Wildcats outscored Piedmont 19-3 to win. Jaycee Glover hit both of her 3-pointers in the third quarter as the Lady Bulldogs outscored White Plains 17-4 to take a 31-22 lead into the fourth.
Lele Ridley led Piedmont with 16 points.
PIEDMONT – Ava Pope 2 0-0 5, Jaycee Glover 2 0-0 6, Lele Ridley 5 6-7 16, Cayla Brothers 2 0-0 4, Melanie Studdard 1 1-2 3, Carson Young 0 0-0 0, Gracie Naugher 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 7-9 34.
WHITE PLAINS – Cooper Martin 4 5-8 17, Isabella Higgins 4 2-3 10, Hallie Williams 1 0-0 2, Bradley 0 0-0 0, Braeton Moran 3 1-2 9, Cassidy Arnold 1 0-0 3. Totals 13 8-13 41.
Piedmont 9 5 17 3 – 34
White Plains 7 11 4 19 – 41
3-point goals: Piedmont 3 (Pope, Glover 2); White Plains 7 (Martin 4, Moran 2, Arnold). Fouled out: Glover. Total fouls: Piedmont 14, White Plains 11.
SOUTHSIDE 70, LINCOLN 11: Graceanne Rose led three Southside players in double figures with 16 points in Class 5A, Area 12 play. Madison Shaw added 13 points and Rylann Shaw 11, and Southside held Lincoln to a scoreless fourth quarter.
SOUTHSIDE – Jovi Marble 0 2-2 2, Lexi Darnell 1 0-0 2, Sara Kate Yancey 2 0-0 5, Mallory Brooks 2 0-0 5, Emma Rogers 1 0-0 3, Laylah Davis 3 2-2 8, Hannah Wescott 2 1-1 5, Graceanne Rose 7 2-4 16, Madison Shaw 4 4-6 13, Rylann Shaw 5 1-1 11. Totals 27 12-16 70.
LINCOLN – Keivondria Blackman 0 0-0 0, Aubrey Machen 1 0-0 2, Trinity McClellan 2 0-0 4, Precious Britt 1 0-0 3, Faith Robinson 1 0-0 2. Totals 5 0-0 11.
Southside 20 20 20 10 – 70
Lincoln 2 7 2 0 – 11
3-point goals: Southside 4 (Yancey, Brooks, Rogers, Shaw); Lincoln 1 (Britt). Total fouls: Southside 6, Lincoln 13. Officials: Caldwell, Spears, Richardson.
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