| Jr. Yellowjackets open hoop season with Rebel sweep |
By: Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Pres
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 1:05 pm
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Layup — Greenfield's Rachel Roberts drives in for a layup during her team's dominating, season-opening, road victory over McKenzie last Thursday night.
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While the weather threatened rain outside, both McKenzie Middle School teams experienced prolonged scoring droughts on the basketball court leading to their being swept by the Greenfield Junior High Yellowjackets last Thursday night in McKenzie.
In the first game, the Lady Rebels scored a basket at the 5:05 mark in the first quarter and didn’t see another shot drop until 4:12 remained in the third quarter, resulting in a 41-4 defeat thanks to a prolific scoring night by the Lady Jackets.
Sadie Laws opened the game with a jump shot for the home squad. Callie Croom answered for Greenfield, but the score remained tied at two for the better part of the quarter while play was dictated by first-game jitters and turnovers. Kalee Kesterson untied the score and the Lady Jackets used a 15-0 run, aided by seven points from Rachel Roberts, to take a 15-2 lead after one quarter.
The Lady Rebels were not without scoring opportunities in the second quarter, but the shots refused to fall and all eight free-throw attempts missed the mark. Hannah Mosley led the visitors with seven points and helped Greenfield to a 28-2 halftime lead.
The Lady Rebel drought ended in the third quarter with a basket from Olivia Pate, but it began again and lasted for the duration of the contest on the way to a 41-4 win for Greenfield.
Croom and Roberts led Greenfield with nine points each. Laws and Pate each had a bucket for McKenzie.
The second game produced a closer result yet was affected by McKenzie’s inability to knock down a shot in the second quarter. A fourth-quarter Rebel comeback fell just short and Greenfield took the 29-18 win.
The Yellowjackets jumped out to a 5-0 start and built an 11-2 lead with 1:46 left in the first quarter. A 3-point basket from Curtis Broadbent cut the lead to 11-5 at the end of the first quarter.
Both teams had trouble finding a rhythm in the second quarter, but Austin Pence knocked down a 3-ball with 2:20 left to end a drought for the Jackets. Tony Robinson hit another shot from long distance and put Greenfield up 17-5 at the end of the first half.
Josh Owen ended the McKenzie dry spell with a layup to start the third quarter. Robinson answered with a layup for the Yellowjackets, but Owen completed a 3-point play to put the home team in double digits and cut the Greenfield lead to 19-10. Outscoring the visitors 7-4 in the third quarter, McKenzie trailed 21-12 after three.
Jay McCutcheon hit one of two free throws to open the final quarter and cut the lead to 21-13. Crouse knocked in one of two free throws as well, but Evan Wilson connected from long range to cut the lead to 22-16. Greenfield, however, entered the bonus and used free throws to secure its 29-18 win.
Robinson led the Jackets with 11 points. Both Owen and Broadbent had five for McKenzie. |
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