Basketball Roundup – January 8, 2019
By Terry Futrell
Sunbright Lady Tigers Overwhelm Coalfield 62-27
The Lady Tigers secured sole possession of second place in District 3 by overwhelming the Lady Jackets 62-27. With a full-court pressure defense that kept the Lady Jackets off the board, Sunbright jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the first quarter. The Lady Tigers expanded their lead to 27-13 at the half and then outscored Coalfield 35-14 in the second half.
The Lady Tigers were led in scoring by Hannah Shannon with 14 points, The Brown twins, Ashton and Makenna, contributed 10 points each. Taylor Cox added nine points for Sunbright. Hannah Shannon and Ashton Brown each connected on two 3-pointers for Sunbright. Gabby Lowe scored six points for Coalfield, and Carlee Kees added five points.
The win gives Sunbright a 6-1 district record and sole possession of second place behind Oneida, which is now 7-0 in the district after knocking off visiting Wartburg. Sunbright takes on visiting Oneida Thursday evening in a battle for first place in the district. The Lady Jackets fall to 2-7 and seventh place in the district.
Sunbright Tigers Sneak by Coalfield 67-62
The Sunbright Tigers came out strong against the Yellow Jackets, building a 15-5 lead in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets refused to go down without a fight and came roaring back, pouring in 28 points in the second quarter. The game was tied 33-33 at the half. Once again, the Tigers built an 8-point lead in the third quarter, only to see the Yellow Jackets fight back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Tigers 19-16. The game was tied at 60-60 with 1:57 left on the clock. The Tigers once again asserted themselves and held on for the 67-62 victory.
The Tigers were led by Josh Langley with 24 points, most of which came on fast breaks or as the result of slashing drives to the basket into the heart of the Yellow Jacket defense. John Freels and Wes Bohanan each added 14 points for Sunbright. Coalfield was led by Nathan Harvey with 14 points, Alex Hawk with 10 points, and Jeffrey Speer with nine points. Free throws proved to be the difference maker as Sunbright outshot Coalfield 18-11 at the free throw line.
Sunbright now has a 2-5 district record and sits in sixth place, ahead of Midway, Coalfield, and Oliver Springs. Coalfield drops to a 1-7 record and last place in District 3-1A.
Wartburg Lady Bulldogs Fall to Oneida 59-48
The Wartburg Central Lady Bulldogs lost to district-leading Oneida 59-48, dropping Wartburg to third place in District 3-1A. The Lady Bulldogs managed to score only four points in the first quarter falling behind the Lady Indians 13-4. From that point on, the Lady Bulldogs were competitive, with only a 2-point scoring deficit over the last three quarters. But, the damage was already done, and Wartburg could not overcome the huge first quarter deficit.
Madison Holley led the Lady Bulldogs in scoring with 16 points, followed by Callie Johnson with eleven points. Oneida had three players score in double figures – Kendyl West scored 16 pints, while Jayden Thomas and Katelyn Stiltner had 14 points each. The teams combined for 16 3-point baskets, seven for Wartburg and nine for Oneida.
The loss leaves Wartburg with a 6-2 district record, and they now trail both Oneida and Sunbright. The Lady Bulldogs have now lost four of their last five games. Oneida faces Sunbright Thursday evening in a battle for first place in District 3-1A.
Wartburg Bulldogs Lose to Oneida 67-59
The Wartburg Central Bulldogs would love a do-over of the first half of their game with Oneida. The Bulldogs fell behind 33-20 at the half. Wartburg outscored the Indians 39-34 in the second half, but could not dig themselves out of the hole created in the first half. Oneida gained the victory 67-59, handing the Bulldogs their second loss in District 3-1A.
The Bulldogs were led by Colby Justes with 15 points, followed by Elijah Langley and Jake Branstetter with 11 points each. Oneida’s Kolby Morgan led all scorers with 21 points. Nathan Bowling added 15 points for the Indians and Chance Botts scored 14 points.
Fouls were a major factor in the game with a total of 52 fouls called, 24 on the Bulldogs and 28 on the Indians.
Oneida is now solidly in fourth place in District 3-1A, immediately behind Wartburg and Oakdale. The Indians take on Sunbright on Thursday and Coalfield on Friday. Wartburg hosts Midway on Friday.