Lady Rangers, Bulldogs pull off easy wins
Published 2:07 pm Monday, December 13, 2021
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Unaka's Joe-Z Blamo holds the basketball as he waits for his Ranger offense to get set.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Bulldog post player Hayden Campbell puts up a shot over Unaka's Landon Ramsey.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Hampton's Conor Burleson pulls up for a jumper for two points against Unaka.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Hampton guard Isaiah McCoury works the basketball into the front court against Unaka.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Unaka's Gavin Seigfried prepares to pull the trigger on a three-point shot against the Hampton defense.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Unaka's Joe-Z Blamo pulls up for a jump shot in the Rangers game against Hampton.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Unaka's Devin Ramsey drives the basketball past Hampton defender Isaiah McCoury.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Hampton's Macy Henry pulls up for a short-range jumper.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Lady Ranger Lyndie Ramsey soars toward the rim for two of her game-high 26 points.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Unaka's Julie Simerly looks for a way past Hampton defender Madi McClain in the Lady Rangers win over their cross-county foe.
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BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
The Bulldogs and Lady Rangers used similar formulas – taking a large early lead – and each cruised to victory on Friday night at Snavely gymnasium in Watauga Valley Conference action.
Hampton boys took a 75-34 win over the Rangers while the Unaka girls got 26 points from junior guard Lyndie Ramsey and earned a 61-42 win over the Lady Bulldogs.
The Rangers opened stone cold-shooting 1-of-9 from the floor in the opening stanza as the ‘Dogs took a 17-2 first period lead. Senior guard Isaiah McCoury hit a pair of treys in the period and Hampton shot 6-of-12 from the floor in the period.
“Our kids played hard on defense and turned it into offense,” Bulldogs head coach Ned Smith said. “We shared the ball well and had 17 assists. It’s a big key for us to start off well and set the tempo for the game and I am proud of the intensity we brought. It’s a good conference road win.”
The ‘Dogs (6-0, 1-0 WVC) really got hot in the second period as their trapping defense was an obstacle Unaka could not solve as Hampton put up 28 second-quarter points to take a 45-12 halftime advantage.
The second half was played on a more even pace with Hampton outscoring the Rangers 30-22 but it was at least a competitive second half as Hampton emptied their bench playing everyone on the varsity roster. Senior post Conor Burleson led the ‘Dogs with 12 points as 14 of 15 players cracked the scoreboard.
Senior guards Gavin Seigfried and Joe-Z Blamo each scored seven points for the Rangers.
GIRLS
Unaka……. 61
Hampton….42
Ramsey scored four first-period buckets and senior guard Macy Ensor hit a pair of trey’s as Unaka opened with a 17-4 first-period lead. Hampton closed to within 30-21 at the half with sophomore guard Macy Henry scoring 10 of her team-high 17 points but Unaka (9-2, 1-0 WVC) pulled away in the fourth quarter.
“It was big for us to get the early lead,” Lady Rangers head coach Kenneth Chambers said. “But we hurt ourselves with getting in foul trouble and we made some passes we shouldn’t have that became turnovers.
“But we had some girls step up and play big tonight. We played eight or nine players tonight and we made a lot of mistakes but we played hard. Macy got in foul trouble but she rebounded well, shot well, (Kiki) Forney played well. She got hurt at Johnson County and I wasn’t sure if she could go but she did and played well.”
The story in this one was Ramsey and her ability to score inside and outside. Ramsey connected on 9-of-11 shots from the floor and was 1-of-1 from distance.
Unaka led 46-36 after three quarters and outscored Hampton 15-6 in the final stanza.
Junior post Mailey Guy scored 13 for the Lady Rangers to back Ramsey’s scoring and for Hampton, Taylor Berry had nine points and Madison McClain had eight.
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BOYS
Hampton 75-34
Hampton (75)
Point 4, Anspaugh 3, McElyea 2, Holtsclaw 8, Whitehead 7, Buckles 7, Burleson 12, McCoury 6, L. Lyons 3, Harrison 5, Carrico 3, Hicks 2, M. Lyons 7, Campbell 6.
Unaka (34)
Slagle 6, Sexton 3, Seigfried 7, D. Ramsey 2, L. Ramsey 2, Blamo 7, Lydick 4, Shomaker 3.
Hampton….. 17 28 16 14 – 75
Unaka…………2 10 12 10 – 34
3-point goals: H 6 (McCoury 2, Anspaugh, Whitehead, Buckles, Lyons), U 3 (Slagle 2, Seigfried)
GIRLS
Unaka 61-42
Hampton (42)
Berry 9, M. McClain 8, Henry 17, Helle 6, Nickles 2.
Unaka (61)
Simerly 4, Ramsey 26, Forney 6, Ensor 6, Guy 13, Whitehead 6.
Hampton… 4 17 15 6 – 42
Unaka……. 17 13 16 15 – 61
3-point goals: H 4 (M. McClain 2, Henry, Berry), U 5 (Ensor 2, Forney, Ramsey, Simerly)
