Behind a 24-point performance from Hannah Jones, the Gilmer High School Lady Cats notched a Region 7-AAAA road victory over the Ridgeland High School Lady Panthers last Friday.

The claws were out early, as Gilmer and Ridgeland ended the first quarter in a 13-13 stalemate. The Lady Cats then pounced in the second quarter, to hold the Lady Panthers scoreless until the two-minute mark. Thanks to the strong defense, GHS went on to build up a 32-17 halftime advantage.

The hot Lady Cat offense carried over into the third quarter, with Gilmer opening up a 51-31 lead by the end of the period. Ridgeland started cutting into the Cats lead in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit down to eight, before a late foul shot from Kaylee Deyton positioned Gilmer to claim the 61-52 victory.

“We started out slow, not moving much on offense. We were just kind of hanging out and passing,” said Gilmer coach Kim Charles following the game. “We came out in the second quarter and everyone was being more aggressive on offense. We went into halftime and had 13 turnovers, but we had 12 in the third quarter alone. We had six straight possessions where we turned the ball over and that is what turned the game around and let them get back in the ballgame. When they put the pressure on, we freaked out a little bit. We’ve got to learn to slow the game down at that point and control the basketball.”

After a win against Pickens last Saturday, the Lady Cats are currently 14-6 overall (9-3 in Region 7AAAA play) this season. They host Lafayette for senior night Tuesday, before concluding the regular season by completing a suspended game at Pickens Thursday. Both tip-offs are set for 6 p.m.

JV trumps Ridgeland

The JV Lady Cats had little trouble with the Lady Panthers, cruising to a 51-15 victory to begin Gilmer’s day at Ridgeland.

“It was a very good game for us,” said JV coach Susan Nunn. “We had a little bit of a slow start, but we finally got going. We started putting pressure on the ball and our guards took over. Today was the first day that I really felt like our posts dominated the game. Mary Lee Callihan and Michaela Staley both had a fantastic game. Rebounds, points, they were doing everything. Sara Mosley played and this was her first game of the season. She’s been injured the entire season, but she came in and took control at the point guard spot.”

Mary Lee Callihan led the Gilmer scoring barrage with 15 points. Michaela Staley had 11, while Sara Mosley added five. Mallory Kiser recorded four, while Katie Kiker, McKayla Chambers and McKenzie Hagin had two each.

Following a victory over Pickens last Saturday, the JV Lady Cats finish the 2015-16 season with a 10-4 record.

STATS (varsity Lady Cats):

Hannah Jones: 24 points, four rebounds, one steal, 3/9 on free throws.

Sarah Aaron: 12 points, three rebounds, two steals, 0/2 on free throws.

Kaylee Deyton: Nine points, 14 rebounds, three steals, one block, 1/2 on free throws.

Harley Weaver: Six points, six rebounds, one steal, one block, 4/5 on free throws.

Emily Reece: Four points, seven rebounds.

Emily Sanford: Four points, 1/1 on free throws.

Taylor Boling: Two points, three steals, two rebounds.

Haley Higingbotham: Two rebounds.

Baylee Burnette: One rebound.

 

#TeamFYNSports, “Always looking to spotlight young athletes in a positive manner,” is sponsored by: