The Lady Centurions tamed the Lady Tigers in a grind-it-out style of play in the 2nd round of the Republic Bank Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic with Antonita Slaughter achieving scoring honors in a defensive contest.

CAL 40 Clay County 31

 

Summary

Traffic starts and stops due to road construction and a rain/snow mix caused frustration outside for fans on the way to the 2nd round game of the Republic Bank Holiday Classic. Inside the gym, the Lady Centurions used their own version of offensive starts and defensive stops to create a similar feeling for the 12th-ranked Lady Tigers of Clay County.

 

Mirroring the previous game, Antonita Slaughter connected on a long-range 3-pointer in the opening minute. Methodical throughout the contest, Clay County responded with patience, but found few cracks in the Lady Centurions’ one-on-one defense, managing only 4 points in the 1st quarter. Often trapped, talented center Whitney Belle Jackson found some outside support from guards Danielle Fox and Alicia Mitchell, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the production of CAL’s Slaughter and China Dow whose rebounding efforts soon paid dividends.

 

In the 3rd quarter, the Lady Tigers’ took a bite out of CAL’s 25-12 halftime lead. Their growl grew louder as their controlled high-low game caught CAL off guard a few times. The game took on the appearance of a grind-it-out affair by period’s end with a 30-22 score. For the final quarter, Coach Rice and Assistant Coach Marshall awoke the troops by implementing a full-court press, forcing Clay County out of their offensive rhythm. When the Lady Tigers increased their defensive intensity to half court, CAL’s quick passes allowed backdoor opportunities, including a China Dow pass to Casey Marshall to fend off any hope of a Clay County comeback.

 

Sideline notes

CAL:

--Rebounding: After the Lady Centurions managed only to break even in early season games, a renewed focus for the tournament has made a difference, including a decisive advantage in this game.

--Emily Walden deserves recognition for her all-out hustle, resulting in three rebounds and three assists.

Clay County:

--With their discipline and patience on both ends of the floor, Clay County’s “eye of the tiger” can lull opponents into a false sense of security. If you let your guard down, they will pounce.

--Whitney Belle Jackson may not always be quicker than her opponents, but she plays a smart game, getting good position for rebounds and knowing when to shoot or kick the ball back outside.

 

Game scoring by quarter

CAL 12 13 5 10 40

Clay Co. 4 8 10 9 31

 

Player statistics

CAL: Antonita Slaughter (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals), Allison Karst (10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals), China Dow (9 points, 5 rebounds), Paige Gardner (3 points, 1 rebound), Anna Hart (2 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 steal), Casey Marshall (2 points), Emily Walden (1 point)

 

Clay County: Alicia Mitchell (10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists), Danielle Fox (6 points), Whitney Belle Jackson (5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks), Jordan Phillips (4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block), Kayla Smith (4 points, 2 assists)

 

Team statistics

CAL: FG 15/35 (43%), 3-pt. FG 4/11 (36.4%), FT 6/12 (50%)

Clay County: FG 10/33 (30.3%), 3-pt. FG 3/8 (37.5%), FT 8/10 (80%)

 

Coming up for CAL...

Monday, December 21: CAL (6-0) vs. Lexington Catholic (4-3) at Lexington Catholic, 4:00 pm, a quarterfinal round game of the Republic Bank Holiday Classic

 

*Note: This is likely to be a physical contest against the host team, so the Lady Centurions will need to be physically and mentally prepared for a tough battle, ready to hit their free throws, something they had been doing well until this tournament.

For the tournament bracket, go here: http://www.lexingtoncatholic.com/sports/basketball/gbasketball/2009%20Republic%20Bank%20Championship%20bracket.pdf