Anniston, AL – Tuesday girls: Anniston’s girls have just enough to turn back White Plains’ upset bid; Cleburne County’s Brown hits 1,500 career points, and more
TUESDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Anniston 42, White Plains 38
Cherokee County 55, Jacksonville 41
Cleburne County 56, Munford 35
Clay Central 51, Horseshoe Bend 46
Glencoe 51, Alexandria 45
Piedmont 55, Weaver 24
Pleasant Valley 60, Coosa Christian 33
Saks 42, Wellborn 29
Sand Rock 71, Fyffe 33
Southside 46, Talladega 37
Spring Garden 76, Jacksonville Christian 35
Westbrook Christian 50, Hokes Bluff 42
Woodland 48, Randolph County 31
By Al Muskewitz
No one had to tell Eddie Bullock how close his Anniston girls came to being on the bad end of one of the biggest upsets of this basketball season.
“We escaped,” he said after his Lady Dawgs held off White Plains 42-38 Tuesday night. “I told my kids they gonna make me go home and have to take some blood pressure medicine.”
Bullock’s athletic but inexperienced team started the game in a way most expected, jumping out to a big early lead. White Plains rallied to get within two, then turned the ball over nine of their last possessions of the first half and fell behind by seven at the break.
In the second half, however, the Lady Wildcats protected the ball better and turned up the pressure. It got them back within within two several times in the last nine and a half minutes – they even got it to one once early in the fourth quarter – but they couldn’t get over the hump.
“They played hard and their energy is what gave them a chance,” Bullock said. “We have some players they’re in the learning process and we just got to get it right. Hats off to White Plains, they played tough. They play like we play and they didn’t quit. I’ve got to tip my hat to them.”
While Bullock breathed a heavy sigh of relief, White Plains coach Matt Ford wondered what might have been.
It was a four-point game with 41 seconds left after two Akayla Perry free throws, but the Lady Wildcats threw two lazy entry passes to Bella Higgins the Lady Dawgs denied and it sealed White Plains’ fate. Perry led all scorers with 19 points.
Still, Ford couldn’t be happier with the way his team competed against the county’s traditional best.
“They competed hard, I’m proud of them,” he said. “Of the six girls who play normally, Hallie (Williams) is the only one who played last year, meaningful minutes a lot, so they’re still getting used to pressure and that kind of stuff. I felt like we took a big step forward.
“Now, we turned it over a ton and we spotted them 10 at the beginning because Coach Bullock always does such a good job with his defense. I feel like they grew up a lot and protected the basketball, but the main thing we did was compete.”
Cooper Martin helped bring White Plains back from the early deficit with two 3-pointers and nine of her team-high 15 points. It all was part of a 14-2 run that got the Lady Wildcats back to 18-16 with five minutes left in the half.
“”I think there’s just no quit in them,” Ford said. “This group, the (five) juniors especially, they’re just gritty. They don’t back down.”
ANNISTON – Layla Tyus 1 0-0 2, Akayla Perry 6 3-4 19, Matasia Truss 0 0-0 0, Jada Fomby 1 0-4 2, Jenaysa Oliver 0 1-2 1, Tykeria Smith 1 5-10 7, Kiara Thomas 2 6-6 11. Totals 11 15-26 42.
WHITE PLAINS – Cooper Martin 5 2-4 15, Isabella Higgins 5 1-2 11, Abbie Dickeson 0 0-0 0, Hallie Williams 1 0-2 3, Addison Bradley 2 2-2 6, Braeton Moran 1 0-2 3, Cassidy Arnold 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 5-12 38.
Anniston 18 8 9 7 – 42
White Plains 9 10 14 5 – 38
3-point goals: Anniston 5 (Perry 4, Thomas); White Plains 5 (Martin 3, Williams, Moran). Fouled out: Bradley. Total fouls: Anniston 14, White Plains 20. Officials: Jarrett, Kelley, Howell.
CLEBURNE COUNTY 56, MUNFORD 35: Faith Brown scored 24 points and hit the 1,500-point mark for her career in the Lady Tigers’ victory. Brown hit the milestone on the number with her last bucket of the game before lifted in the fourth quarter.
Hannah Turley had 20 points for the Lady Tigers with four 3-pointers. She had 10 points in a 22-2 second quarter that gave them control of the game. Brown had eight points in that quarter.
MUNFORD – Jamya Sistrunk 1 0-0 2, Breanna Hailes 0 1-2 1, Alys Mosley 0 0-0 0, Ashtyn Bishop 1 2-2 4, Amari Carlisle 2 0-2 4, Faith Jacobs 1 0-0 2, Fantaza Calhoun 3 0-2 6, Lauryn Brewster 8 0-2 16. Totals 16 3-10 35.
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Faith Brown 9 5-7 24, Makenzie Frames 1 0-0 3, Hannah Turley 7 2-2 20, Neveha Williams 2 0-0 4, Alivia Boyd 0 0-0 0, Kourtnie Alred 0 2-3 2, Daylea Brewster 0 0-0 0, Macey East 0 0-0 0, Erin Brown 1 0-0 2, Lily Whatley 0 0-0 0, Kiera Henderson 0 1-2 1. Totals 20 10-14 56.
Munford 8 2 10 15 – 35
Cleburne County 13 22 11 10 – 56
3-point goals: Cleburne County 6 (F. Brown, Frames, Turley 4). Total fouls: Munford 15, Cleburne County 15. Officials: Railey, Mallicoat, Winn.
PIEDMONT 55, WEAVER 24
WEAVER – Annalynna Canchucaja 0 0-0 0, Erionna Richmond 3 1-2 7, D.J. Gibbs 1 2-3 4, Ella Mae Kines 0 0-0 0, Alayia D’Ambrosia 0 0-0 0, Iyanna Wright 0 0-0 0, Mckenley Davis 0 0-0 0, Aaliyah Marks 2 1-2 5, Madison Atchley 1 0-0 3, Kimora Miles 2 1-2 5. Totals 9 5-9 24.
PIEDMONT – Armoni Perry 0 0-0 0, Ava Pope 4 0-0 11, Josie Young 1 0-0 3, Rylie Anne Holbrooks 0 0-0 0, Jaycee Glover 0 0-0 0, Lele Ridley 8 2-2 18, Cayla Brothers 1 5-6 7, Melanie Studdard 1 0-0 2, Jenna Duke 0 0-0 0, Carson Young 3 0-0 6, Gracie Naugher 3 0-0 8, Morgan Studdard 0 0-0 0, Hannah Kate Barber 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 7-8 55.
Weaver 4 6 4 10 – 24
Piedmont 8 22 13 12 – 55
3-point goals: Weaver 1 (Atchley); Piedmont 6 (Pope 3, J. Young, Naugher 2). Rebounds: Piedmont 39 (Pope 9, Ridley 10, Me. Studdard 7). Total fouls: Weaver 7, Piedmont 7. Officials: Hoffman, Wilson, Hollingsworth.
CHEROKEE COUNTY 55, JACKSONVILLE 41
CHEROKEE COUNTY – Ellle Garmany 4-12 2-2 13, Raechel Russell 4-9 0-0 12, Mary Hayes Johnson 5-12 0-2 10, Nevaeh Gaidurgis 4-7 1-2 9, Vivian Connell 2-4 2-2 8, Deannia Starr 1-1 1-2 3, Audrey Haygood 0-0 0-0 0, Ellisan Givens 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 6-10 55.
JACKSONVILLE – Ashley Grant 7-21 2-3 18, Dee Prothro 5-8 0-1 10, Halaina Lozano 3-8 0-0 8, Mya Swain 2-5 0-0 4, Ontarriah Braxton 0-0 1-2 0, Alexis Phillips 0-2 0-0 0, Olivia Rowan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-45 3-6 41.
Cherokee County 18 14 11 12 – 55
Jacksonville 8 3 14 16 – 41
3-point goals: Cherokee County 9-27 (Garmany 3-10, Russell 4-9, Johnson 0-3, Connell 2-3, Givens 0-2); Jacksonville 4-21 (Grant 2-12, Lozano 2-6, Swain 0-1, Phillips 0-2). Rebounds: Cherokee County 31 (Johnson 8, Gaidurgis 8); Jacksonville 25 (Prothro 8, Swain 7). Total fouls: Cherokee County 7, Jacksonville 7.
SOUTHSIDE 46, TALLADEGA 37
TALLADEGA – Trinity Webb 5 0-0 10, Kailynn Williams 0 1-2 1, Houston Goins 2 1-2 7, Zae Cunningham 3 0-0 6, Makayala White 5 0-0 10, Jekeria Wilson 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 2-4 37.
SOUTHSIDE – Jovi Marble 0 0-0 0, Lexi Darnell 0 0-0 0, Emma Knowlton 1 0-0 2, SaraKate Yancey 2 1-2 6, Mallory Brooks 3 1-2 9, Laylah Davis 0 0- 0, GraceAnne Rose 3 4-6 10, Madison Shaw 6 5-6 19. Totals 15 11-17
Talladega 10 6 9 12 – 37
Southside 7 21 9 9 – 46
3-point goals: Talladega 3 (Goins 2, Wilson); Southside 5 (Yancey, Brooks 2, Shaw 2). Fouled out: Webb, Cunningham. Total fouls: Talladega 17, Southside 11. Officials: Tinsley, Battles, Smith. Notes: Shaw scored 10 of her points in the second quarter to help the Lady Panthers pull away.
