Lady Cyclones basketball results: Doc Maples Holiday Hoops Tournament
Published 8:44 pm Saturday, December 21, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jamira Smalls goes up and lays the ball off the glass for a bucket during first-period action.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Point guard Peyton McGee looks to break down a Wildcats defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent After grabbing the rebound, senior Kayelyn Nave goes back to the rim for a shot.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Adrian Heading runs the perimeter on offense, finding a cutter in the paint.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Reagan May drives toward the rim. She scored nine points in the game.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Sydney Minton lays out for a loose ball early in the final period.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Adrian Heading pauses her dribble while surveying the court.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Aerryan Fleenor wrestles for a loose ball against a Greeneville defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Coach Lucas Andrews calls a timeout as Greeneville and the Lady Cyclones start the second half.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jamira Smalls works inside, looking to score.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Rylee May quickly moves up the court against the Lady Greene Devils.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jacy Shell works the ball around the perimeter in the closing minutes of the game.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Reagan May fires up a 3-pointer in an attempt to rally her team.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Peyton McGee attempts a one-handed jumper for the score. She finished the game against the Lady Greene Devils with 15 points.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Reagan May works around two Greeneville defenders for the score.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Lady Cyclones Head Coach Lucas Andrews is a firm believer that stiff opposition prepares a team better for tournament play in February. He got just that in two difficult matchups this week at the Doc Maples Tournament, held at Viking Hall in Bristol. The tournament helps keep the Lady Cyclones sharp before their Christmas break.
Game 1: Scottsboro (Ala.) Wildcats 54, Lady Cyclones 44
The Lady Cyclones showed a lot of grit going up against a Scottsboro, Alabama, team that finished as the state runner-up in 5A basketball. The Lady Cyclones held a lead for a decent portion of the game but couldn’t finish it off.
The Lady Cyclones trailed most of the first period as the Wildcats jumped out to a 14-5 lead, finding success inside. However, they trimmed the lead when Reagan May hit a short jumper with nine seconds left in the period, reducing the deficit to five points heading into the second period.
The Cyclones came out cold in the second period, struggling to finish near the rim. As halftime approached, however, they began to heat up. Peyton McGee fueled a 12-0 run to close the period, and the Lady Cyclones went into the break down by a single point at 24-23.
The two teams exchanged buckets in a see-saw second half. Jamira Smalls clogged up the middle and grabbed rebounds for the Lady Cyclones. McGee hit a couple of free throws to push her squad up by two points with 3:33 left in the third period. But the Wildcats finished the period on a 6-2 run, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Izzy Nelson, to take a 35-32 lead into the final period.
The Lady Cyclones continued to battle but couldn’t regain the lead in the final period. May hit a baseline layup to make it a one-possession game midway through the period, but the Wildcats responded with a couple of 3-pointers down the stretch. Forced to foul in the final minutes, the Lady Cyclones saw the Wildcats stretch their lead to 10. McGee, May, Smalls, and Kayelyn Nave each scored nine points to lead the Lady Cyclones.
Postgame, Coach Andrews recognized his team’s toughness against a strong Wildcats team.
“It’s tough digging a hole like that. It was back and forth, but they hit a couple of big threes in transition—that’s a veteran team over there. I think this is a good measuring stick for us going into Christmas and then conference play. We have made our schedule tough on purpose; it causes growth. I’m proud of this team and how they grind each day,” Andrews said.
Game 2: Greeneville 73, Lady Cyclones 53
The Lady Cyclones jumped out to an early lead off 3-point shooting from Peyton McGee and Rylee May, but the Lady Greene Devils slowly pulled away. By the third period, the Lady Greene Devils extended their lead to 20 points near the two-minute mark and then held off the Lady Cyclones, who cut the deficit to single digits a couple of times but got no closer. The Lady Greene Devils went to the free-throw line 14 times, making 10, compared to the Lady Cyclones’ six attempts.
McGee led the way with 15 points, hitting five 3-pointers, while Reagan May added 14 points, and Rylee May chipped in eight. Maria Lyde scored 29 points for the Lady Greene Devils, finding success in the paint.
The Lady Cyclones will finish the tournament with a game against Volunteer, tipping off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Game 3: Lady Cyclones 71, Volunteer 48
The Lady Cyclones finished the Doc Maples Holiday Hoops Tournament with a dominant win over the Lady Falcons. Leading from the opening buzzer, they built a 14-point lead by halftime. Jamira Smalls dominated in the paint on both ends of the court, helping the Lady Cyclones coast to an easy victory.
Rylee May led the Lady Cyclones with 24 points, while Reagan May added 14, Kayelyn Nave chipped in 13, and Smalls finished with 12.
Postgame, Coach Andrews praised his team’s response to a previous challenge.
“I challenged them last night after Friday’s performance that we had to be better defensively guarding people and rebounding. I thought we had better effort today,” Andrews said.
The Lady Cyclones will travel to Destin, Florida, to participate in the Hilton Sandestin Beach Basketball Blowout Tournament, which begins on Dec. 27.
