Lady Cats Too Fast: Route Lady Raiders 58-20

The Gilmer Lady Bobcats basketball team traveled across the mountain to face the Lady Raiders from Southeast Whitfield. After having a successful preseason stint, the Lady “Cats” looked to build on that success and start the season off right. Gilmer was able to do just that, taking down the SEW in dominating fashion 58-20.The game got underway after Southeast controlled the tip. Seconds later, Jade Green scored the first points of the night giving the Lady “Cats” a 2-0 lead. Moments later, Sarah Lambert nailed a three pointer for the Lady “Cats.”

Lambert had the hot hand early on, taking the ball to the hole on a fast break and drawing the foul. She made both free throws, and made another two after Bailey Charles hit a long jumper.

Britton Farlow checked into the game with 1:21 to go in the first quarter, and hit a three pointer to end the quarter. Gilmer led 16-4.

A quick Southeast three pointer and steal prompted a timeout by head coach, Kim Charles. Gilmer came out of the timeout in a full court press, forcing turnovers left and right.

Jenna Parks hit a three to give the Lady Cats a 19-7 lead. Megan Allen checked in and gave the Gilmer some well played minutes. The Lady “Cats” was in the bonus early, with Charles, Farlow, and Parks getting to the line.

Meghan Flowers came in for Charles and created some scoring plays for the Lady Cats. Her precise passing led to a Farlow three pointer giving Gilmer a 27-9 halftime lead.

Gilmer’s up-tempo play kept creating problems for the SEW. Charles scored on a fast-break, and Hannah Jones scored on a drive to the basket to extend the lead to 31-9.

Emily Sanford saw her first action in the game when she checked in for Parks. Green displayed tremendous hustle, grabbing an offensive rebound and getting an and-one which she converted.

Sanford, Charles, and Farlow scored down the stretch for the Lady Cats, making it 45-14 at the end of the third.

Sanford kicked off the scoring in the fourth quarter when she gathered her own miss and drove to the basket, drawing a foul. She made the basket and the free throw for the three point play.

With 4:00 to play, Flowers got a steal and made a defender look silly with a crossover, then hit Sanford on her way to the basket, who drew another foul. She converted both free throws and gave the Lady “Cats” a 50-16 lead.

Sanford then hit a three on the assist from Hannah Colwell, and Kalee Deyton had a putback off of an offensive rebound. Haley Higingbotham finished the scoring on the night for the Lady “Cats,” getting two points on another offensive rebound putback.

The Lady “Cats” displayed a quick tempo which gave SEW all kinds of problems. The Lady “Cats” shooters converted 14 of 18 free throws, with only one of those misses coming before the 1:55 mark in the fourth.

The bench played well, with the top two scorers on the night coming off the bench. Farlow lead with 14 points, followed by Sanford who had 13. Charles finished with 8, and Lambert with 7. The Lady Cats will take on Murray County at home this Friday night.