There are 2 Ts in title
- Updated: December 17, 2022
Friday girls roundup: Cleburne County, Brown fired up by coach’s ejection, rally to win Tri-County Tournament in overtime, includes scores and more
FRIDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Appalachian 57, Ragland 29
Handley 50, Heard County 43
Jacksonville 32, White Plains 22
Lincoln 62, Munford 26
Ohatchee 71, Westbrook 59
Ranburne 68, Jacksonville Christian 53
Tournament of Champions, James Clemens
Oxford vs. Austin
Tri-County Tournament, Randolph County
Championship: Cleburne County 67, Randolph County 62
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
WEDOWEE – Sometimes it takes getting kicked out of a game to kick your team back into the game.
That’s the way Cleburne County coach Todd Gable looked at it Friday night when he got tossed with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter of the Tri-County Tournament girls championship game.
His Lady Tigers trailed by nine after the free throws from the two technical fouls, but something about the moment inspired them. They rallied from that point to send the game into overtime where they eventually beat Woodland 67-62 to repeat as tournament champions.
“That’s the first time I ever got tossed,” Gable said. “I’ve gotten techs every year, sometimes two or three, but I’ve never been tossed.”
It all stemmed from his disagreement of a call on the sideline in which Gable, a former game official, thought a traveling violation should have been called against Woodland instead of granting it a timeout when one of its players rolled over after diving on a loose ball. Both times he was T’d after turning his back on the ruling referee to discuss the play with another of the officials.
“I was upset because I thought it was a momentum change, the call and getting the first tech,” Gable said. “I’m thinking, we’re down, I’ve a super young team, they haven’t been in a battle like that, it might be a good time to test what we’re made of and if I’m gonna get one, I might as well get one right here.”
Faith Brown was really fired up by the action, they told him, and he had to take their word for it. He couldn’t see it because he was banished to the dressing room, but the Clay County boys team awaiting the next game kept opening the door to tell him of the comeback.
“It was just like a movie,” Gable said. “I’m in thre and I can hear the crowd getting louder and louder, Coach Giddens came in and said you really got them fired up.”
Brown hit the shot that sent the game into overtime and ended up with a single-game girls school-record 48 points. She had seven 3-pointers, four in the fourth quarter and OT.
“I’ve been telling her even though she’s been averaging like 27 points a game I can’t wait for her to have a Jorda Crook breakout,” Gable said, referring to the Ohatchee senior who has eclipsed 40 points several times this season. “I knew she had it in her. Even the Woodland coach said there was nothing we could do to stop her.”
Brown had her season average in the fourth quarter and overtime alone. They didn’t name an MVP for the tournament, but was there any doubt she would have won it?
“That was good for this team; they needed something good to happen to them,” Gable said. “Our team is like a Jekyll and Hyde trying to find our identity. We won this tournament last year and for these young girls, having to step up, it was big.
“The 300 (dollars fine), it was worth it. I wouldn’t want to do it all the time. My wife sure doesn’t want me to do it all the time. My principal was there and he said that was an epic win. I didn’t feel like the call was right. If I was going to get (T’d up), I’d like to at least earn it.”
CLEBURNE COUNTY 67, WOODLAND 62 (OT)
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Faith Brown 17 7-12 48, MaKenzie Frames 1 0-0 2, Hannah Turley 3 1-1 7, Neveha Williams 2 5-14 9, Kiera Henderson 0 0-0 0, Baylie Jones 0 1-2 1, Lily Whatley 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 14-29 67.
WOODLAND – Kaylie Simpson 2 1-2 5, Macey Slick 5 4-4 16, Leah Williamson 3 14-20 20, Juliana Lovvorn 0 3-6 3, M’kiya Knight 1 2-2 4, McKenzie McCormick 2 0-0 4, Alex Raughton 3 4-6 10. Totals 16 28-40 62.
Cleburne County 14 11 8 22 12 – 67
Woodland 15 10 13 17 7 – 62
3-point goals: Cleburne 7 (Brown 7); Woodland 2 (Slick 2). Technical fouls: Cleburne County coach Gable 2. Fouled out: Frames, Whatley, Lovvorn, Knight. Total fouls: Cleburne 22, Woodland 23.
RANBURNE 68, JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 53: Briley Merrill hit six 3-pointers and scored 35 points to lead Ranburne. She scored 25 points in the second half.
JCA’s Erin Prater also hit six 3s and finished with 20 points. Teammate Kara Grace scored 19 points and snagged 21 rebounds (16 on the offensive glass).
RANBURNE – Lilly Rice 0 0-0 0, Autumn Lovvorn 0 1-2 1, Autumn Phillips 0 4-6 4, Briley Merrill 14 1-2 35, Aubree Anglin 4 0-0 10, Meranda Ralston 1 0-2 3, Brylee Bailey 7 1-2 15, Jadie Phillips 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 7-14 68.
JCA – Katie Beth Hudson 0 0-0 0, Addy Lee 2 0-2 4, Rebekah Carter 1 2-3 4, Erin Prater 7 0-0 20, Kara Grace 7 5-15 19, Kirsten Walker 1 2-4 4, Payten Walker 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 9-24 53.
Ranburne 14 19 21 14 – 68
JCA 15 16 11 11 – 53
3-point goals: Ranburne 9 (Merrill 6, Anglin 2, Ralston); JCA 6 (Prater 6). Total fouls: Ranburne 18, JCA 12. Officials: Hinkle, Warren, McCord.
JACKSONVILLE 32, WHITE PLAINS 22: Jacksonville held the Lady Wildcats scoreless in the first and third quarters. Mya Swain led their offense with 12 points. White Plains’ Isabella Higgins pulled down 17 rebounds.
JACKSONVILLE – Mya Swain 2-9 7-9 12, Alexis Phillips 3-7 0-0 6, Ashley Grant 2-5 1-4 5, Ontarriah Braxton 2-6 0-1 4, Halaina Lozano 1-7 1-2 4, Dee Prothro 0-1 1-2 1, Miarah Hardy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-35 10-18 32
WHITE PLAINS – Cooper Martin 3-15 0-2 9, Isabella Higgins 3-11 0-2 6, Cassidy Arnold 2-12 0-0 5, Addison Bradley 0-1 2-2 2, Hallie Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Braeton Moran 0-4 0-1 0. Totals 8-45 2-7 22.
Jacksonville 7 8 5 12 – 32
White Plains 0 11 0 11 – 22
3-point goals: Jacksonville 2-13 (Swain 1-5, Phillips 0-1, Grant 0-1, Lozano 1-6); White Plains 4-27 (Martin 3-14, Arnold 1-7, Williams 0-2, Moran 0-4). Rebounds: Jacksonville 30 (Phillips 8, Prothro 8); White Plains 39 (Higgins 17). Total fouls: Jacksonville 11, White Plains 14. Officials: Howell, Holloway, Merritt.
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