Highschool Hoops Wrap-up

Another result about 10 months too late for Westfield girls

basketball.

No rivalry for the Lady Hornets provided more drama and

intensity for the past five years than the one with the Deerfield-Windsor

program in Albany. Usually, a region championship is on the line when the two

teams meet, and only in the 2009-2010 season did Westfield come out on top.

Back in February at ABAC’s gym in Tifton, the Lady Knights

were the victors once again when the GISA Region 3-AAA title was on the line. And

it was at the line that they earned the one point needed to win 26-25.

In this new season, Westfield and Deerfield-Windsor will not

be battling each other for a region championship. Certainly, though, the rivals

stayed on each other’s schedule, and the first meeting since that epic

heartbreaker for the Lady Hornets took place Friday in Albany.

It did not come down to the last second. Four of Cass

Cassell’s girls scored in double figures, and Westfield rolled to a

seventh-straight win 69-40. McKinley Walton and Kate Moseley each sank three

3-pointers, Walton’s total ending at 19 points and Moseley’s 12.

Sydney Ledford had 13 points and Valerie McLure 10 from the

front court. Westfield controlled the action from the outset, but things got

away from the home team when the visitors scored 23 to six by the Lady Knights.

The winning streak, however, ended Saturday. Crisp Academy

is the only team that’s beaten the Lady Hornets so far, the latest final being

50-44 in Cordele.

It was a tied game at the half 21-21. Westfield went into

the fourth ahead 36-34, but only had eight in the last eight minutes.

 

“It was a close game

throughout, closer than final score indicated,” said Cassell. “We played the

second half with four players in foul trouble.”

Westfield was still up

two with two minutes to go when Ledford was called for walking while making a

basket. Madi Mitchell of Crisp converted 8-of-10 foul shots the fourth quarter.

Crisp was 16-for-25 for the game from the foul line and Westfield was 5-for-7.

Westfield’s

boys lost to Deerfield-Windsor Friday 62-33.

“We

shot the ball poorly and did not defend well,” said coach Jake Walls.

Things

improved in those areas Saturday as the Hornets beat Crisp Academy 58-30. It

was 22-15 at halftime.

James Beeland

had 18 points including four 3-pointers. Barrett Stanley had four steals and

nine points to go with five assists. Giles Amos added 10 points and eight

rebounds as well.

“We

looked sluggish early and were trailing 10-6 at the first quarter and 15-12 in

the middle of the second quarter,” said Walls. “We closed out the second

quarter with a 10-0 run that sparked the excellent second half performance.”

NORTHSIDE

 

The Northside

Eagles, playing Rutland High at home Saturday, let a 14-point halftime lead get

away. The visiting Hurricanes exploded for 40 fourth-quarter points to steal

the victory 88-82.

“A tough loss at

home against a quality team,” said Eagles coach Ken Price. “Rutland is mentally

tough and did a good job not going in the tank after getting down by 17. We

need games like this to help us down the road.  We have to learn how to

close out teams when we have them down.”

Senior Jarius Smith

scored 21 points with six rebounds and five assists. He made four 3-point

baskets. Kyle Johnson also scored two 3-pointers in a 16-point game. Robert

Davis had 12 points and nine rebounds while Justin Burnam had 10 points and six

boards.

Christian Kennedy

led Northside with 11 rebounds and seven blocks.

2-AAAA

 

Perry High’s boys,

unable to overcome a huge second-quarter from the Westside High Seminoles, went

to 2-2 in Region 2-AAAA Friday as the Seminoles won the game staged in Macon

75-72.

The Panthers went

from being ahead 12-11 in the first quarter to trailing at the half 38-27.

Perry went on to win the second half, but only by an eight-point edge of 45-37.

K.J. Smith scored 19

points with three made 3-pointers and 7-of-10 foul shooting. He added five

assists. Larry Felder made 16 points with six rebounds. Marquez Thomas scored

eight, while Deonte Soloman and Jalen Walker each had seven.

The slide for the

Veterans High girls continued Friday at Baldwin High. Without two starters –

Jalyn Slaughter and Aspen Coggins, the Lady Warhawks fell 54-48.

“We blew a 10-point halftime lead and just didn’t show up

the second half,” said coach Nicole Miranda. “I was playing without Jalyn and

Aspen, and the absence of their leadership, ball handling and defense were

evident.”

It was Veterans’ third region loss in a row. The score was

17-0 for the Lady Warhawks at one point.

The Warhawk boys won at the buzzer 51-49.

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