Lady “Cats Claw Out Victories

The Gilmer High School Lady Bobcats basketball team had a busy week this week with makeup games being scheduled amongst games already scheduled for the week. It was a very good week for Gilmer as the ladies were able to win their final games of the regular season and head into the Region 7A-AAAA tournament with momentum on their side.The week started on with a tilt against rival Pickens County. Bailey Charles got Gilmer on the board early with a quick three-pointer after Jade Green won the opening tip. Pickens got out to an early 5-3 lead, but that was the best position the Dragonettes would be in all night as the Lady “Cats” put the pedal to the metal.

Sarah Lambert scored two on an inbound and then hit a jumper from the free throw line to give Gilmer the lead again. A Jenna Parks three-pointer and a signature drive from Hannah Jones ended the quarter and GHS had a 12-7 lead.

After a quick basket by Pickens, Parks was left alone at the top of the key where she nailed her second three-pointer of the night. Meghan Flowers checked into the game and contributed right away with a steal and pass to Jones for another layup.

After Parks grabbed an offensive board and scored, Charles would steal another errant pass and go coast to coast for her second basket. The Lady “Cats” turned it on, with Parks and Lambert scoring the next six points giving GHS a 27-19 lead at the half.

Jones and Lambert both hit three-pointers to start the third quarter, and after Charles added two more points, the Lady “Cats” had jumped out to a 14-point lead. Pickens was able to cut into the lead, but Jones connected on two of her four free throws in the quarter to give Gilmer a 37-28 lead going into the final quarter.

Gilmer again started with back to back threes by Charles and Parks, and the game dwindled down to the final minutes in which the “Nettes” had to resort to fouling. GHS made the required free throws and walked out with a 53-45 win.

The Lady “Cats” had an impressive night with four players scoring in double digits. Charles led with 15, Jones with 13, Lambert with 12, and Parks with 11.

The next game for the Lady “Cats” was against the Cedartown Bulldogs. It was “Senior Night,” and four very talented girls were recognized. Britton Farlow, Jade Green, Sarah Lambert, and Jenna Parks are all seniors and they will be greatly missed, but FYN wishes them the best in their bright futures.

The four seniors started the game alongside Charles and they put a hurting on Cedartown. By halftime, the game was already out of hand and GHS was up 41-14. The seniors still got to play a decent amount in their game, but the younger players also got a chance to shine in a blowout victory. When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady “Cats” took the game 75-40.

Saturday brought another game for the Lady “Cats,” and one might think the Gilmer ladies would show signs of being tired after such a busy week. This was not the case though as Dalton was just the latest victim of Gilmer’s stellar play of late.

The game was never close, and Gilmer finished the regular season on a very high note as almost every player on the roster scored. A big first quarter really helped to propel the Lady “Cats” to a win, and it was a team effort.

Farlow, Green, Parks, Lambert, and Charles all contributed en route to a 20 point first quarter. Paired with amazing inbound defense and great rebounding, the Lady Catamounts was only able to put up seven first quarter points and found itself in a deep hole early on.

The lead continued to grow for GHS, but a new cast was behind it this time. Jones put up seven points, while Farlow, Megan Allen, Emily Sanford and Emily Reece added 12 more. It wasn’t just an offensive effort that led to this, but it was a great defensive presence by the Lady “Cats” that helped to score these points. Offensive rebounds and steals were a big part of the first half success, in which Gilmer built a 39-20 lead.

With the main crew back on the court, the Lady “Cats” continued to extend the lead. Jones, Lambert, Charles, and Sanford helped the lead to grow to 53-26 after the third quarter. The fourth quarter was more of the same with Flowers, Allen, and Haley Higingbotham adding on to the point total, and Gilmer took the game by a final score of 63-33.

Jones, Farlow, and Charles all led the team with 10 points while Sanford and Lambert followed with 7. The Lady “Cats” will face SE Whitfield at Cass High School in the first round of the Region Tournament currently postponed due to weather.