(by Don Meador, The Citizen-Times)
Two games into the 2018-19 basketball season
has left the Allen County-Scottsville Lady Patriots with a split in the
win/loss column and both good news and bad news going forward.
AC-S opened the season with a 52-42 loss to
South Warren---the second ranked team in preseason by the Daily News media poll.
Four days later, the Lady Patriots overcame an offensively-challenged first
half to run away from Warren Central in the second half enroute to a 64-38
victory Saturday at the State Farm District 14 vs. District 15 Challenge at
Bowling Green.
The bad news---or potential bad news---would
come in the season-opener. Senior Jaylee Woods returned to the starting lineup
for the first time since tearing her right ACL last December against
Franklin-Simpson. Woods would have a solid night. Offensively, Woods scored
five points and defensively, the 5’1” guard recorded a career-high seven
rebounds---using her cat-like quickness to pounce on long rebounds. However,
Woods was forced to leave the game in the third period after reinjuring her
knee.
Despite several minutes on the court, Woods’
was cleared to return to finish the game. Later in the week, tests on the knee
left an uncertain diagnosis with further testing coming this week, leaving her
status for the coming games and, potentially, season, up in the air. With
sophomore guard Alison Meador out with an ACL injury already, Woods’ potential
absence would require new faces to step up.
South Warren recorded the win in large part
due to their 16-2 run in the first eight minutes. AC-S missing 15 of their first
16 shots allowed South Warren to gradually build their lead. The Lady Spartans
stretched the lead to 16, 21-5, following a three-point basket by Hallie
Parrish at the 3:12 mark of the second. Sarah Sutton responded, scoring the
Lady Patriots final eight points of the first half to pull her team to within
nine, 23-14, at halftime.
AC-S continued to rally in the second half.
Mason Towery’s jumper at the 2:53 mark pulled her team to within seven. The
Lady Spartans answered with an 8-0 run---including a pair of three pointers by
Parrish and Brooke Stevenson. Towery added a lay-up and Woods drained the three
to pull the Lady Patriots to within 10, 38-28, with eight minutes remaining.
The Lady Patriots had their chance in the
final period. Baskets by Woods and Sutton sliced the South lead to five, 40-35,
with 4:24 left. An AC-S turnover---one of 24 in the game---led to South scoring
to stretch their lead to seven with 3:49 remaining. Two AC-S turnovers in the
next two minutes ended Lady Patriot possessions. By the 1:00 mark, the Lady
Patriots were forced to foul. The Lady Spartans went eight for eight at the
line the rest of the way to post the 10-point win.
“When you start in a 16-2 hole, it makes
things tough,” noted AC-S coach Greg Dunn. “That was a disastrous start but we
were trying. There seemed like there was a lid on the rim. We took good shots.
The reverse of that was happening on the other end. We put ourselves in a
difficult position to start the game. After that we pretty much played with them.”
The Lady Patriots outscored the Lady
Spartans (2-1) 40-36 over the final
three quarters and showed several positive signs in a game that the Lady
Patriots can learn and grow from.
“I was proud of the way our kids hung in
there, battled, and fought back,” Dunn added. “That is a good sign for us. We
could have folded up the tents. I was proud of their effort. Our young team
will get better from this game.”
AC-S bounced back from six of 31 shooting in
the first half to finish the game 17 of 57 for a 29.8 percent clip. South
Warren went 17-54 from the floor. The difference came with the Lady Spartans
sinking four three-point baskets and going 14 of 20 at the foul line.
AC-S---behind seven-rebound nights from Towery, Woods, and freshman Chloe Cook---out
rebounded South 45-38.
Sutton led the Lady Patriots with 20 points
with Towery adding 12.
The good news of the first week of the
season came against Warren Central. With Woods in street clothes, sophomore
Taylor Carter was called upon to make her first varsity start. The entire team
was called to step up----both offensively and defensively. Carter and Sutton
responded offensively while Cook contributed defensively.
Carter scored a career-high 16 points on
five of shooting from the field and five of six shooting at the foul line. Her
numbers included a five-point first half----her efforts needed with Sutton in
first half foul trouble and Towery struggling with her shooting.
Warren Central led 10-6 after the first
eight minutes. Carter’s basket and free throw early in the second narrowed the
Lady Dragons’ lead to one. Central pushed the lead to three once again before
Sutton---back on the court despite two fouls---began to take control of the
game.
A 16-16 tie at the half would see AC-S
respond with a 24-10 third period---a charge led by Sutton. The Murray State
signee scored 17 points in the period. Towery added a jumper, Carter sank a
three, and Cook sank a pair of free throws to key the charge. Defensively, AC-S
contained the Warren Central (0-3) offense helping the Lady Patriots carry a
40-26 lead to the final quarter.
Sutton would continue to dominate---her play
lifting the entire team. With the 5’11” forward leading the way, the offense opened.
Carter scored a quick four points, Cook sank a jumper, and Towery dished out
three consecutive assists to help AC-S to a 52-31 lead with 5:29 left. Sutton
scored nine of her team’s final 12 points as AC-S recorded their first win of
the season.
By game’s end, Sutton was in rare air in the
record books of Lady Patriot basketball. She would finish with 37 points on 12
of 19 shooting from the floor, two three-pointers, and 11-13 shooting at the
foul line. For good measure, she led AC-S with 11 rebounds---the 22
double-double of her career. Her 37 points ranks sixth on the all-time list for
points in a game.
AC-S’s 18.2 shooting in the first half was
followed by a 53.1 percent clip in the second. AC-S made 21 of 54 shots in the
game, sank three three-point buckets, and went 19 of 25 at the foul line. The
Lady Patriots grabbed 44 rebounds. In addition to Sutton’s 11, Cook finished
with a career-best eight rebounds. Turnovers were down for AC-S with the team
finishing with 15. AC-S dished out 11 assists.
“We struggled again early,” Dunn explained.
“Again, we were taking good shots but they did not fall. We challenged them at
halftime and Sarah took control and never looked back. Taylor was solid from
the floor and helped us out tremendously.”
Sutton pointed out that her team needed her to
step up on both ends of the court.
“We have had some unfortunate injuries
already and before the game we were talking about people stepping up,” Sutton
noted. “I knew that I had to go out and get the job done and lift up my
teammates.”
AC-S (1-1) will host Greenwood (0-2) on
Thursday and travel to Cumberland County (0-3) this Friday. Tuesday, AC-S
entertains Warren East (0-4).