Slatten scores career-high 44 points during Dec. 1 game

The Warriors and Warriorettes traveled east to play Cumberland County in hard-court action, on Dec. 1. 

The Warriorettes started out very slow offensively as they gave the Cumberland County Lady Jets a 10-point lead before scoring their first points.  Sparta did turn up the defense and cut the lead to four points as the first quarter ended with the score of 12-8 in favor of the Cumberland County Jets. 

Alania Stiles started the second quarter with a basket, cutting the lead to two points.  Cumberland County extended the lead to four, with 5:30 left to play in the second quarter.  Nia Powers cut the lead to three by hitting one of two from the free throw line.  With 4:15 left to play in the second quarter, the score is 11-16 in favor of the Lady Jets.  With 45 seconds to play, Gracie Dodgen knocked down a deep three from the left side wing to cut the lead to two, at 17-15.  The first half ended with the Cumberland County Lady Jets up by two points, 17-15. 

The Warriorettes came out early in the third quarter and took the lead. Cumberland County Lady Jets and the Warriorettes swapped leads in the third quarter.  With five minutes left in the third quarter, Cumberland County led 23-22.  Morgan Quick was fouled while shooting a three-pointer and hit all three free throws to tie the game at 25, with three minutes to play in the third quarter.  Mia Murray was fouled, with 1:30 seconds in the third quarter and hit one of two to give the Warriorettes a one-point lead 26-25.  Both defenses stepped up and played strong basketball to end the third quarter, with the Warriorettes holding the slim one-point lead at 26-25 heading into the final quarter. 

Stiles was fouled as she scored early in the fourth quarter and missed the free throw as the Warriorettes now had a three-point lead, 28-25.  Cumberland County cut the lead to one, and Dodgen put the Warriorettes back up by three with a layup.  The Warriorette’ defense turned up the pressure, creating a turnover by the Lady Jets, and the Warriorettes had a five-point lead, 32-27.  As the Lady Jets cut the lead to three, Powers went up strong to score and completed the old- fashioned three-point play, moving the score to 35-19 as the Warriorettes took a six-point lead.  The Lady Jets cut the lead to four, with 3:30 left to play in the fourth quarter. 

Cumberland County had several opportunities to cut into the score with missed layups, yet did cut it to four points with three to play.  Dodgen hit a long three to extend the lead to six points, at 42-36.  Abby Houston for Cumberland County cut the lead to four points, and then the Jet defense forced a turnover, with 1:30 to play.  Dodgen was fouled as she fought for a defensive rebound, but missed the front end of a one and one.  The Lady Jets were fouled and hit one of two to cut the lead to three points, with one minute to play.  Murray was fouled and missed the front end of a one and one to give the Lady Jets an opportunity to tie.  The Jets missed a three pointer and Addison Frazier was fouled and hit two straight free throws to give the Warriorettes a five-point lead.  Houston hit a three pointer to cut the lead to two points, with 18 seconds to play.  Frazier hit both free throws to give the Warriorettes 46-42 with 10 seconds to play.  A defensive steal by Quick helped seal the win, at 47-42.  The Warriorettes move to 4-1 on the season. 

Coach Michael Dodgen stated, “We played good defensively for three quarters but let up in the fourth quarter. We must be better at the free throw line and inside the paint if we want to continue to win.”

Gracie Dodgen led the Warriorettes on the night with 19 points. 

In the second game of the night the Warriors started slow, and, with 4 minutes to play in the first quarter, the Jets led by four, 11-7. 

The Cumberland County Jets hit baskets, with 2:30 to play, to extend the lead to six, with the score 15-9.  Tanner Paul hit two free throws to cut the lead to four.  A defensive steal gave the Warriors a chance to cut further into the lead as Grant Slatten missed two free throws and missed the opportunity to score.  Jackson Enman, of Cumberland County, fouled as he knocked down a three pointer and hit the free throw for the four-point play to extend the lead to 10 points, 21-11, in favor of the Jets, with one minute to play in the first quarter.  The first quarter ended with the Cumberland County Jets leading the Warriors by 10, at 23-13. 

Slatten made the steal and scored a breakaway dunk to cut the lead to six points 23-17.  Slatten then hit a three pointer from the right side to cut the lead to three, with four minutes to play in the second quarter.  With a Kade Clark layup, the Warriors cut the lead to one 23-22.  With an exchange of baskets, the Warriors’ trailed, 25-23.  Slatten hit a three to give the Warriors their first lead of the game, at 26-25.  With 3:17 to play in the second quarter, the Jets cut the lead to one, with the score set at 28-27.  With a strong play inside by Clark and Slatten shooting, the Warriors extended the lead to 36-32.  With one minute to play, Slatten hit one of two from the stripe to extend the lead to five points, 37-32.  The Jets stalled the ball to take the last shot of the half and missed the shot.  The score at the end of the first half had Sparta leading by five points, with the score set at 37-32. 

The third quarter saw the Warrior defense flex their muscles, and the offensive output of Slatten extended the lead to 25 points.  The score at the end of three was set at 65-40.  The Warriors continued to take control of the game and won by a score of 86-56.

Slatten led the way for the Warriors, with a career-high 44 points in the win.  Slatten hit 18 of 21 from the field for a 86 percent shooting average on the night as he kept the nets heated up. 

The Warriors’ and Warriorettes’ next games are scheduled for Dec. 7, against Sequatchie County, beginning at 6 p.m., at White County High School.