On a roll
- Updated: December 19, 2019
Girls roundup: Saks wins third straight to reach .500 for first time since December 2016; Alexandria, Jacksonville, Faith win nailbiters
Thursday’s girls scores
Regular season
Alexandria 50, Cherokee County 48
Faith Christian 35, Piedmont 34
Jacksonville 30, Cleburne County 29
Ragland 55, ASD 19
Saks 53, Wellborn 19
White Plains 69, Weaver 28
Cherokee County Holiday Invitational
Cedar Bluff 68, Gaston 14
Sand Rock 60, Springville 41
Spring Garden 72, Gaylesville 28
Collinsville 66, Handley 42
Lauderdale County 45, Spring Garden 44
Lee County Holiday Tournament, Smiths Station
Oxford 50, Benjamin Russell 18
TCC Lady Tiger Christmas Tournament
Shelby County 89, Sacred Heart 79
Talladega at Talladega Co. Central
Glencoe 63, Jackson-Olin 45
Wills Valley Girls Shootout, Fort Payne
Anniston 51, Vestavia Hills 28
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
ANNISTON – Jamiracle Bass has been around the Saks girls basketball program long enough to remember when things were good. That’s what makes this current run so much fun.
The Lady Wildcats girls got back to .500 for the first time in three years Thursday night with a 53-19 rout of Wellborn. It was their third win in a row – most importantly, all area games – after a 1-4 start.
Saks won the Calhoun County tournament and played in the regional finals when Bass was a seventh-grader, but the program fell on hard times the last three seasons, winning a total of 13 games. The Lady Wildcats won five games each of the last two years and didn’t their fourth wins until almost February. They were last at .500 in December 2016.
During this current three-game winning streak, their longest since the last three games of the 2017-18 regular season, they have beaten Weaver, Piedmont and Wellborn and are one game behind Pleasant Valley in the area standings.
“Last year we weren’t really playing as a team, but this year I believe everybody’s come together and we’re just playing as a team,” Bass said. “It’s very fun winning games. I don’t like losing.”
Thursday night they scored the first 20 points of the game and led 20-4 after the first quarter. Bass had seven points, two rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal in the run. Wellborn finally got on the board with a free throw by Annelies Boot and Blakley Cupp hit a 3 with 10 seconds left in the quarter.
“The biggest thing is they had to buy into the new system that we’re running,” first-year Saks coach Dwight McDonald said. “They’re playing great defense. That’s one of the things a lot of teams are saying we’re doing different this year than they’ve done in years … which creates offense.
“We’re running a lot of plays, which is something that’s new to them. But most of all I want them to be aggressive and play smart and play like a team, and I think they’re buying into it. We had to get some of the old habits out and create the new habits, which is paying off. They’re really happy about their progress but we have to understand we still have room to grow.”
Bass finished with 13 points. Teammate Teana Edwards led all scorers with 14 points. Cupp was Wellborn’s leading scorer with nine.
WELLBORN – Brook Singleton 1 0-0 3, Blakely Cupp 4 0-0 9, Alyssa Morgan 1 1-1 3, Nikki Burrell 0 0-0 0, Cloie Adkison 0 0-0 0, Ella Minor 0 0-0 0, Taniya Traylor 0 0-0 0, Annelies Boot 0 1-2 1, Jayla Lowe 1 1-2 3, Dee Traylor 0 0-0 0, Kalelyn Hulsey 0 0-0 0, Kinlee Pritchett 0 0-0 0, Kylie Hardy 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 3-5 19.
SAKS (4-4) – Amor Stone 0 0-0 0, Keilynn Williams 2 3-6 7, Deavian Stewart 4 0-0 8, Takierra Hudson 1 1-3 3, Deja Almon 1 0-0 2, Teana Edwards 6 0-2 14, Alyssia Gooden 0 0-0 0, Jamiracle Baass 4 5-6 13, Destini Elston 2 0-2 4, Kendale Welch 1 0-0 2, Alaysia Neal 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 9-19 53.
Wellborn 4 3 9 3 – 19
Saks 20 13 13 7 – 53
3-point goals: Wellborn 2 (Singleton, Cupp); Saks 2 (Edwards 2). Total fouls: Wellborn 18, Saks 13. Officials: Oden, Hayes, Walker.
Jacksonville 30, Cleburne County 29
JACKSONVILLE – Patience Carr had trouble hitting her shot from the floor, but she was spot on from the free throw line when Jacksonville needed her most. Carr hit a pair of free throws to put her team ahead by three and the Lady Golden Eagles held on, holding their breath through a bucket and a missed shot at the buzzer.
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Glorianna Brown 4-5 0-3 10, Hailey Price 2-8 4-6 8, Brooklyn McDaniel 0-1 3-5 3, Olivia McDaniel 1-3 1-2 3, Kendall Houston 0-3 2-5 2, Micah Pentacost 1-1 0-0 2, Sarah Hunt 0-0 1-2 1, Haven Freeman 0-0 0-0 0, Jacy Littleton 0-0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Altman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 8-21 11-23 29.
JACKSONVILLE – Kayla Broom 2-4 2-2 7, Patience Carr 1-11 4-6 7, Amarie Curry 3-5 1-2 7, Rebekah Gannaway 1-5 0-0 3, Brenna Stone 1-3 0-1 2, Maggie Anderson 1-5 0-0 2, Malijah Goggins 0-3 2-8 2, Shay Goggins 0-1 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Hamm 0-0 0-0 0, Amia Montgomery 0-0 0-0 0, Carmen Prater 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 9-37 9-19 30.
Cleburne Co. 7 8 5 9 – 29
Jacksonville 11 5 11 3 – 30
3-point goals: Cleburne County 2-5 (Brown 2-2, Price 0-2, Houston 0-1); Jacksonville 3-22 (Broom 1-3, Carr 1-8, Gannaway 1-5, Anderson 0-3, M. Goggins 0-2, S. Goggins 0-1). Rebounds: Cleburne County 22 (Hunt 4); Jacksonville 35 (Broom 13, Stone 5). Total fouls: Cleburne County 17, Jacksonville 17.
Faith Christian 35, Piedmont 34
ANNISTON – Alli Grace Emerson hit a free throw with 30 seconds left to put the Lady Lions up 35-31, then Piedmont’s Jaycee Glover hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin. The win snapped Faith’s six-game losing streak and extended Piedmont’s losing streak to three games.
PIEDMONT – Ava Pope 4 0-0 10, Emma G. Todd 0 0-0 0, Whitney McFry 0 0-0 0, Jaycee Glover 2 0-0 6, Lele Ridley 2 4-8 8, Hannah Barbee 0 0-0 0, Armani Perry 1 0-0 2, Jenna Calvert 2 0-0 4, Gracie Naugher 0 2-2 2, Z’Hayla Walker 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 6-10 34.
FAITH CHRISTIAN – Ona Marple 0 0-0 0, Ariana Arevalo 2 4-9 8, Anna Strautman 2 0-0 4, Kassidy Nix 2 1-3 5, Alli Grace Emerson 1 1-5 3, Elizabeth Bedford 0 0-0 0, Meagan Ford 2 0-0 4, Babat Aremu 5 1-2 11. Totals 14 7-19 35.
Piedmont 14 2 8 10 – 34
Faith 6 9 10 10 – 35
3-point goals: Piedmont 4 (Pope 2, Glover 2). Fouled out: Ridley. Total fouls: Piedmont 17, Faith 9.
Alexandria 50, Cherokee County 48
ANNISTON – Kameron Simpson hit two free throws in the final 10 seconds to give the Lady Cubs back the lead after Cherokee County rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game. Simpson finished with 21 points. The two free throws were her only points of the fourth quarter.
CHEROKEE COUNTY – Audrey Green 2 0-2 4, Emily Allen 0 0-0 0, Aubrey Williams 0 0-0 0, Karlee Perry 3 0-0 8, Jordyn Starr 9 1-4 20, Kayleigh Hunter 6 2-4 14, Brooklyn Mahannah 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 3-10 48.
ALEXANDRIA – Ashley Phillips 6 0-1 14, Sarah Pelham 0 0-0 0, Kayleigh Steen 3 1-2 9, Kameron Simpson 9 2-2 21, Jordyn Walker 0 0-0 0, TaShica Woodgett 1 0-0 2, Rylee Gattis 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 3-5 50.
Cherokee Co. 8 20 4 16 – 48
Alexandria 12 16 16 6 – 50
3-point goals: Cherokee County3 (Perry 2, Starr); Alexandria 5 (Phillips 2, Steen 2, Simpson). Fouled out: Phillips. Total fouls: Cherokee County 10, Alexandria 14. Officials Roberts, Tillery, Robinson.
White Plains 69, Weaver 28
ANNISTON – Cheyenne Cochran and Adriana Sotelo both hit five 3-pointers and scored career-highs of 15 points to help the Lady Wildcats snap a four-game losing streak. Sotelo hit all of her 3-pointers in the second half.
“Cheyenne and Adriana are consistently our best shooters in practice,” White Plains coach Matt Ford said. “Their teammates did a good job finding them and getting them the ball. And I thought Callyn (Martin) did a good job setting the tempo on the defensive end.”
Martin also added some offense, going for 12 points.
WEAVER – Madison Atchley 1 0-0 2, Kiese Hubbard 1 1-2 3, Marley Tucker 0 0-0 0, Carmella Reese 0 0-0 0, Kayliegh Hindsman 2 0-0 4, Haley Homesley 6 0-0 14, Neveah Hawkins 0 0-0 0, TiAna Lawrence 1 0-0 2, Taylor Lawrence 1 0-0 3, Kyra Smith 0 0-0 0, Loralei Brown 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 1-2 28.
WHITE PLAINS – Callyn Martin 5 2-2 12, Cheyenne Cochran 5 0-0 15, Hallie Williams 1 0-0 2, Camden Wilson 1 0-0 2, Lily Ponder 4 0-0 9, Adriana Sotelo 5 0-0 15, Angel Bozarth 4 0-1 8, Kaylee Johnson 3 0-2 6. Totals 28 2-5 69.
Weaver 6 11 8 3 – 28
White Plains 15 16 21 17 – 69
3-point goals: Weaver 3 (Homesley 2, Ta. Lawrence); White Plains 11 (Cochran 5, Sotelo 5, Ponder). Total fouls: Weaver 10, White Plains 4.
Shelby County 89, Sacred Heart 79
HOWELL COVE – Miyah Harris scored 30 points, Alisia Person had 23 and the Lady Cardinals hit 17 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a pair of 30-point performances in the opening round of the TCC Lady Tigers Christmas Tournament.
According to AHSAA record book, the 17 3s logged into Sacred Heart’s scorebook ties four teams for the fourth-most by one team in a game. The 27 by both teams ties the state record set by Cold Springs (20) and Cleveland (7) in their 2019 area tournament game.
Harris hit eight of the Lady Cards’ 3-pointers and Person hit seven.
SACRED HEART – Taysia West 0 0-0 0, Alisia Person 7 2-3 23, Miyah Harris 9 4-4 30, Amiyah Buchanan 3 0-1 6, Jordan Sabree 1 1-4 3, Serena Hardy 6 3-4 17. Totals 26 10-16 79.
SHELBY COUNTY – Aaliyah Cotton 1 0-0 2, Nataley Whitner 5 4-5 14, Maggie West 12 8-9 35, MaLise Lilly 12 3-3 32, Peri Clark 1 0-0 3, Haley Ruiz-Hope 1 0-0 3. Totals 32 15-17 89.
Sacred Heart 12 24 19 24 – 79
Shelby County 19 20 20 30 – 89
3-point goals: Sacred Heart 17 (Person 7, Harris 8, Hardy 2); Shelby County 10 (West 3, Lilly 5, Clark, Ruiz-Hope). Fouled out: Sabree. Total fouls: Sacred Heart 12, Shelby County 12.
Oxford 50, Benjamin Russell 18
SMITHS STATION – Justice Woods scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half to get Oxford off to a fast start on the way to winning its opening game in the Lee County Holiday Tournament.
Anniston 51, Vestavia Hills 28
FORT PAYNE — Allasha Dudley had 15 points, Kiana Montgomery 12 and Asia Barclay had 11 points and 13 rebounds as the Lady Bulldogs got off to a good start in the Wills Valley Shootout.
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