Basketball Roundup – February 5, 2019
By Terry Futrell
Coalfield Lady Jackets Decisively Defeat Harriman 47-31
The Coalfield Lady Jackets decisively defeated the Harriman Lady Devils 47-31 Tuesday evening on Harriman’s home court. Tied 7-7 after the first quarter, the Lady Jackets took control in the second period outscoring Harriman 14-3 for a 21-10 halftime lead. Coalfield built its lead to 35-18 after three and held on for the victory as Harriman fought back in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Jackets scored 18 baskets compared to Harriman’s 10 baskets. The Lady Devils outshot Coalfield from beyond the arc six treys to three. Coalfield was led by Gabby Lowe and Malachi Armes with 12 points each. Harriman’s leading scorer was Madi Thompson with nine points. Aleena Goldston added seven points for the Lady Devils.
The victory brings Coalfield to a 5-10 district record and assures the Lady Jackets of a sixth-place finish in District 3-1A. Harriman falls to 3-12 in district play and eighth place.
Coalfield Yellow Jackets Overpowered by Harriman 82-58
In spite of balanced scoring, the Coalfield Yellow Jackets could not keep pace with the offensive attack of the Harriman Blue Devils and were defeated 82-58. Coalfield took a 17-13 lead in the first quarter, but fell behind 45-32 at the half as the Blue Devils picked up momentum. Harriman dominated the second half, outscoring the Jackets 47-26.
Coalfield was led by Brent Carroll with nine points and Nathan Harvey with eight points. Harriman’s Jaylen McCullum put on an offensive show, scoring 28 points, including four 3-point baskets. Brady Stubbs added 17 points for Harriman and Trezdin Copeland scored 10 points.
With the loss, Coalfield remains in last place in the district with a 1-14 record. Harriman is now 13-2 in district play and clinched first place in District 3-1A.
Oakdale Lady Eagles Falter in Second Half – Lose to Midway 62-34
After leading Midway 22-21 at the half, the Oakdale Lady Eagles offense vanished, and the Midway Lady Waves dominated the second half for a 62-34 victory over Oakdale. Oakdale outscored Midway 10-6 in the first quarter as the ladies from South of the River had turnover issues and trouble finding the basket. Oakdale’s Ivy Tilson stole the ball three consecutive plays as Midway attempted to bring the ball down court. Midway fought back and outscored Oakdale 15-12 in the second period. After intermission, Midway took the court with renewed purpose and aggressive defense, totally shutting down Oakdale’s offense. The Lady Waves limited the Lady Eagles to only two points while scoring 23 points in the third quarter. Midway continued the onslaught in the fourth period outscoring Oakdale 18-10.
Oakdale was led in scoring by Victoria Jones with 17 points. Emily Cawood paced Midway with 14 points. Caitlyn Ross added 12 points and Rebecca Lemasters scored 10 points for Midway.
The Lady Eagles fall to 4-12 in district play and remain in seventh place ahead of Harriman and Rockwood. Midway moves to 11-4 in district play and is in sole possession of third place behind Oneida and Sunbright.
Oakdale Eagles Soar in 85-67 Victory Over Midway
The Oakdale Eagles put on one of their best team performances as they soared past the Midway Green Wave 85-67 Tuesday evening. Oakdale built an 18-10 lead in the first quarter, but Midway fought back, cutting Oakdale’s lead to 18-17 with 36 seconds to go. Oakdale added another score to take a 20-17 lead at the end of the first period. Oakdale dominated the second quarter, outscoring Midway 26-13 to take a 46-30 halftime lead. Once again, the Green Wave fought back in the third quarter outscoring Oakdale 16-15. Oakdale took a 24-21 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to achieve the decisive victory.
The Eagles showed just how fast and aggressive they could be on both offense and defense, unselfishly sharing the ball and finding open teammates streaking to the basket. Rhett Nelson led the Eagles with 19 points and Garret Best scored 17 points. Dawson Smith added 14 points for Oakdale. Midway was led by Jason Taylor with 21 points, including four 3-point baskets. Blake Parks added 15 points for the Green Wave and Emmett Hegland scored 10 points.
The victory gives Oakdale a 12-4 record to close out regular season district play, one-half game behind second-place Oneida. Midway drops to 4-11 and remains in seventh place in District 3-1A.
Sunbright Girls Seal Second Place with 49-41 Victory Over Wartburg
The Sunbright Lady Tigers made a definitive statement about Morgan County girls basketball with a 49-41 victory over the Wartburg Lady Bulldogs. Sunbright’s aggressive defense held the Lady Bulldogs to four points in the first quarter as the Lady Tigers built a 28-18 halftime lead. Sunbright outscored the Lady Bulldogs 15-10 in the third period and survived a fourth quarter Wartburg charge to take the victory.
Sunbright was led by Makenna Brown with 15 points, Olivia Northrup with 12 points, and Taylor Cox with 10 points. Madison Williams led the Lady Bulldogs with 12 points, while Callie Johnson added 11 points.
The victory seals second place in District 3-1A for the Lady Tigers. Wartburg drops to fourth place in the district.
Wartburg Bulldogs Finish Strong to Defeat Sunbright 75-62
The Wartburg Bulldogs used a strong fourth quarter to defeat the Sunbright Tigers 75-62. The Bulldogs hit 11 of 15 free throws in the final period and outscored Sunbright 27-18 to seal the victory. The first half was a toss-up, with Sunbright taking a 32-31 lead into halftime. Wartburg took the lead 46-44 in the third period, but is was the fourth-quarter 27-18 scoring surge that gained Wartburg the victory.
Sunbright was plagued by fouls and was called for 26 personals, compared to 19 for Wartburg. The Bulldogs were successful on 20 free throws, compared to only 10 for Sunbright.
Both teams had four players score in double figures. Sunbright was led by Hunter Bunch with 19 points. During the game, Bunch scored the 1000thpoint of his career. Wes Bohanan added 17 points for Sunbright, while Jacob Freytag and Josh Langley scored 11 points each. Wartburg was led by Elijah Langley with 20 points. Caleb Constant scored 15 points, Jake Branstetter added 14 points, and Brian Hamby contributed 10 points.
The victory gives Wartburg a 10-5 district record and sole possession of fourth place in District 3-1A. Sunbright falls to 5-10 in district play and holds sixth place.