Turnovers plague T.A. Dugger girls in nail-biter against ITMS Hawks
Published 11:48 am Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent T.A. Dugger Lady Cyclones control the tipoff to start the game.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Rylee Minton works her way down the court, looking for an open teammate.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Aubry Seabs drives to the basket for a bucket in the first period.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Stella Holtsclaw takes a one-handed jumper over a Hawks defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent McKenzie Perkins works to keep her opponent out of the paint.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent T.A. Dugger girls coach Matt Fox calls a timeout to set up a play in the closing minutes of the game.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Taking care of the basketball can be everything in basketball, and such was the case Monday as ball security came back to bite the Jr. Lady Cyclones in a heated contest in Johnson City. A third period in which they committed nine turnovers created a hole they couldn’t dig out of, leading to a 31-26 road loss.
In a game where points were at a premium, the Cyclones fell behind early, 5-1, before Aubry Szabo ducked a defender and put up a short runner to make it 5-3 with 3:31 left in the first period. Kiana Adams hit both of her free throws in the final seconds of the period to draw within one at 6-5.
After an exchange of buckets, McKenzie Perkins hit three of four free throws to give the Cyclones a 10-8 lead. That score held until the 3:01 mark of the second quarter, when the Hawks’ Rooty Ahrens converted an acrobatic layup off the glass for a one-point advantage. The game continued to seesaw, with T.A. Dugger clinging to a two-point edge. Adams added to the lead by grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring over two Hawk defenders, giving the Cyclones a 15-11 halftime advantage.
The third quarter proved decisive, starting slowly with neither team producing much offense. With 3:12 left in the quarter, Ahrens sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 15-14. The Hawks scored another three on their next possession to retake the lead. Indian Trail capitalized on sloppy play to push the lead to 19-15, as Amiah Lewis hit one of two free throws. Adams put back a loose ball to cut the Hawks’ lead to one, but Lewis drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer, extending the Hawks’ lead to 22-18 heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter began with an early Hawks bucket, but a steal and coast-to-coast layup by Szabo trimmed the lead to four. Rylee Minton nailed a long-distance shot with 1:47 left to make it a one-point game. The Hawks answered when McKenzie Collie grabbed a rebound and spun around for a short jump shot, pushing the Hawks ahead by three, 29-26. The Cyclones dribbled down the court looking to tie the game but stepped out of bounds, turning the ball back over to the Hawks with 13 seconds left. The Hawks sealed the win by hitting two free throws to make it 31-26.
Minton and Adams led the Jr. Lady Cyclones with nine points apiece. Ahrens finished with a game-high 17 points for the Hawks.
After the game, Jr. Lady Cyclones coach Matt Fox reflected on the contest: “The girls are getting better. It’s more of a situation where we are beating ourselves—a huge turnover advantage for them. The girls get in their heads. We have to understand if we take care of ourselves, the game will come.”
Junior Varsity
The sixth- and seventh-grade Jr. Lady Cyclones clamped down defensively in the second quarter, allowing zero points in a 31-8 win over the Hawks. Miley Bowling led the scoring with 11 points, while Stella Holtsclaw chipped in eight.
