Broom’s big game

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: December 15, 2016

Girls roundup: Jacksonville eighth-grader has career night in leading the Lady Golden Eagles over Weaver; Spring Garden rallies past Pleasant Valley

Eighth-grader Kayla Broom (5) came up big for Jacksonville Thursday night. She had a double-double and eight blocked shots against Weaver. (Photos by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

WEAVER – While it anxiously awaits the return of injured Sierra Stone any day now, the Jacksonville girls basketball team is constantly searching for a complementary scorer to add to its offense.

Coach Tres Buzan says he never knows where it’s going to come from, but typically some one steps up and Thursday night Kayla Broom answered the call.

The eighth-grader played the game of her young varsity career in leading Jacksonville to a 62-47 victory over Weaver.

Broom had never scored more than 10 points in a varsity game and had only 36 points total all season. But against the Lady Bearcats she erupted for 28 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked eight shots.

“I think I did pretty good for being an eighth-grader,” she said.

Stone has missed the last five games with a hip injury and continues to be day-to-day with regards to her return. Kyra Williams has provided the bulk of Jacksonville’s scoring in the interim, but Buzan knows it will take more than one scorer to get the Lady Golden Eagles through this.

Williams had scored 20 points or more in the previous four games she played. She had 17 against the Lady Bearcats with eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Broom, the daughter of former Jacksonville State All-American Tracy Broom, didn’t just do all her scoring in one burst and work her way through the rest of the game. She made contributions in every quarter.

Her first basket tied the game. She had eight points in a 14-2 run that gave Jacksonville a 20-point lead early in the third quarter. When Weaver cut to within eight with 1:35 to play Broom was there to see it went no farther.

“She’s not your typical eighth-grader, she’s special,” Buzan said. “She’s capable of that any given night. She’s just finding her comfort zone and learning to be aggressive and where she can score.

“Every game I feel like she’s gotten better and better and right there was definitely a game we needed her and she showed out. You’re not going to find much better than that in eighth grade.”

Weaver, playing without steadying guard Rayne Beck, was led by Caleigh Cortez’ 17 points. Mariah Thompson had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Spring Garden 61, Pleasant Valley 52

SPRING GARDEN – Savannah Dempsey hit seven 3-pointers in the first three quarters and the second-ranked 1A Lady Panthers used a 16-7 fourth quarter to pull away from Pleasant Valley.

The Lady Raiders, ranked No. 9 in Class 3A and playing their third straight game against a ranked opponent, led the game until the final 1:45.

Dempsey led all scorers with 21 points. A.J. Broome led the fourth-quarter surge with eight of her 10 points. Payton McGinnis and Tiyonna Rogers combined for the rest of the Lady Panthers’ points in the fourth quarter.

Ohatchee 39, Ragland 23

RAGLAND – The Lady Indians used a huge second half to pull out the victory. They trailed by nine at halftime without much offense, then held the Lady Purple Devils to two field goals in the second half and outscored them 22-2 in the fourth quarter to win. Ashley Phillips scored nine of her team-high 12 points in the fourth quarter.

THURSDAY’S GIRLS BOX SCORES
Jacksonville 62, Weaver 47
JACKSONVILLE (6-3) – Kayla Broom 12-18 4-4 28, Kyra Williams 7-17 3-6 19, Aniyah Robinson 3-8 1-2 8, Aniya Jefferson 2-5 0-0 4, Essence Hutchinson 1-4 1-2 3, Tatiyana Thomas 1-6 0-0 2, Maddie Hall 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-59 9-14 62.

WEAVER (4-6) – Caleigh Cortez 7-15 3-6 17, Mariah Thompson 6-19 2-8 14, Amira Carter 1-6 4-4 6, Emily Reed 3-8 0-0 6, Tayanna Perry 1-3 0-0 2, Abby Gaines 1-4 0-0 2, Anna Howell 0-0 0-0 0, Hannah Roberts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-55 9-18 47.

Jacksonville 19 16 12 15 — 62
Weaver 8 11 13 15 — 47

3-point goals: Jacksonville 1-15 (Broom 0-1, Williams 0-5, Robinson 1-3, Jefferson 0-1, Hutchinson 0-3, Thomas 0-2); Weaver 0-2 (Thompson 0-1, Reed 0-1). Rebounds: Jacksonville 44 (Broom 16, Williams 8); Weaver 35 (Thompson 14, Perry 8). Total fouls: Jacksonville 12, Weaver 14. Officials: Tidwell, Kelley, Wise.

Spring Garden 61, Pleasant Valley 52
PLEASANT VALLEY (5-5) – Lindsey Pritchett 6 0-0 13, Mac Parris 3 0-0 9, Atleigh Brannon 4 1-2 11, Taylor Barthel 0 0-0 0, Mikala Simpson 5 0-0 11, Courtney Upton 2 0-0 4, Kara Perry 2 0-0 4. Totals 22 1-2 52.

SPRING GARDEN (7-2) – A.J. Broome 2 6-6 10, Kerstin Bryant 2 2-2 7, Savannah Dempsey 7 0-0 21, Payton McGinnis 2 4-6 10, Tiyonna Rogers 6 1-3 13, Totals 19 13-17 61.

Pleasant Valley 19 9 17 7 — 52
Spring Garden 21 8 16 16 — 61

3-point goals: PV 7 (Pritchett, Parris 3, Brannon 2, Simpson); Spring Garden 10 (Bryant, Dempsey 7, McGinnis 2). Fouled out: Pritchett. Total fouls: PV 17, Spring Garden 4. Officials: Allen, Davis.

Ohatchee 39, Ragland 23
OHATCHEE – Ashley Phillips 5 0-0 12, Jazmine Adams 2 0-0 6, Victoria Vice 1 0-0 2, Kourtney Shuler 2 2-2 7, Marli Hanks 3 1-2 7, Maggie Phillips 1 0-2 2, Regan Snow 0 1-4 1
Kacie Cooper 1 0-0 2, Mandy Jennings 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 4-10 39.

RAGLAND – TyAsia Howard 3 0-0 6, Day-Jones 3 0-2 6, Shelley Bird 0 0-0 0, Savannah Kay 0 0-1 0, Nora Echols 2 0-0 5, Makenzie Campbell 3 0-2 6. Totals 11 0-5 23.

Ohatchee 6 4 7 22 — 39
Ragland 9 10 2 2 — 23

3-point goals: Ohatchee 5 (A. Phillips 2, Adams 2, Shuler); Ragland 1 (Echols). Total fouls: Ohatchee 15, Ragland 13. Officials: Maske, Stubbs, Williams.