Both White County High School basketball teams had a big night against Cumberland County, on Jan. 19. The Warriorettes won by 29 points and the Warriors by 13.
The Warriorettes had a close first quarter but slowly stretched their lead. The tip started off as a scramble. Sparta gained possession but missed a scoring opportunity. The Lady Jets had the ball on an inbound and Jorja Anderson knocked down the first 3 of the game. The Warriorettes scored the next four points. Addison Frazier hit Gracie Dodgen down low for 2, and Mia Murray made a layup. At 6:20, Murray tipped the ball out of bounds, and Crossville’s Anderson hit a backside layup off the inbound. Morgan Quick drained a 3 on the other end. Cumberland made a layup to tie the game at 7. Alaina Stiles drove in and was fouled, getting an And1 but missed her free throw. The Lady Jets took off with the rebound, but Frazier caught up to them and fouled. They went 2/2 and were fouled on the next play also contributing 2/2 by Emery Bargona. On the other end, Murray went up for 2. A walk on the Lady Jets gave the Warriorettes the ball. Murray battled and hit the ball out on the Lady Jets to keep the ball in Sparta’s possession. She hit a 3 on the play, taking back the lead 14-11. Stiles was fouled shooting a three but only made one of her free throws. Cumberland took it the other way and put up and offensive rebound for 2. Murray hit a jumper and Dodgen made a layup to close out the first quarter at 19-13. Sparta started out the second quarter with the ball, and that led to Nia Powers hitting a jumper off the inbound. Dodgen got a steal, and the ball made its way back to her. She shot faked and also hit a jumper. This gave Sparta a 10-point lead and forced a Lady Jet timeout. After the timeout, the Lady Jet’s Scarbrough knocked in a 3. The Warriorettes turned the ball over but Murray stole it back and sank a pullup jumper. Around 4:15, Frazier assisted Dodgen with a 3 to make the score 28-16. After a few great hustle plays, Murray stole the ball again but missed, and Celeste Reed followed it up for a 2. The Lady Jets called another timeout, with 3:24 left in the half. After the timeout, Cumberland’s Houston hit a 3. The Warriorettes led by 11 and Dodgen drove through traffic to increase the lead to 13. Powers was fouled on the next play and went 1/2. Cumberland’s Houston made another 3. Stiles also blocked a 3 after that. Murray went to the other end of the court and stripped a 3. The Lady Jets got an offensive put back before the quarter ended.
The Warriorettes opened the third with a 36-24 lead. Murray got an offensive rebound three times, and Stiles finished it. Crossville had trouble converting their possessions to points. Sparta took advantage and made the next six points. With 4:29 remaining in the third, Crossville was fouled and went 1/2. The Lady Jets pressed and stole the ball, but Stiles blocked their shot and threw it up to Murray, who then passed to Dodgen for a completed And1. Once again, the Lady Jets called for a timeout. 2:51 remaining and the Warriorettes were up 47-25. Crossville’s Bargona made two free throws and another timeout was called. After the timeout, Powers went up strong for 2 points. With 4.6 seconds left, Reed knocked down a pair of free throws. Murray dove out of bounds to save the ball, and Powers put it up at the buzzer. This ended the third quarter 53-27 for the Warriorettes.
Right from the start of the third quarter, the Lady Jets get fouled and add one point to the board. They also made a 3 not long after. About a minute later, Quick answered with a 3. Cumberland’s Smith made a layup, but the Warriorettes made the next five points. Of those points, Frazier banked a jumper, Nautica Brown did a post move and went up, and Andi Haston stole the ball that got Reed fouled, making 1/2. The Lady Jets made two more free throws around the 4:30 mark. Haston passed to Brown on a cut and Brown finished. The Lady Jets made another free throw. Brown was fouled for a one-and-one and completed both shots. Cumberland tried to score, but the shot was rejected by Taylor Rittenberry. At 2:32 Rittenberry fouled and the Lady Jets made two more free throws. Rittenberry also grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked out to Lexi Golden for a 3. K.K. McDonald stole the ball and drove it in where she was fouled. She went 2/2 from the line making the score 70-38. Cumberland landed two more free throws to end the game. The final score was 70-41 White County.
Dodgen: 16pt-2ast-1stl-4rebs
Murray: 14pt-4ast-2stl-5reb
Quick: 8pt-2ast-2reb
A.Stiles: 7pt-2ast-1stl-5rebs-3blk
Powers: 7pt-1ast-5rebs
Brown: 6pt-2reb
Reed: 5pt-8reb
Golden: 3pt
Frazier: 2pt-6ast-1stl-2rebs
McDonald: 2pt-1ast-1stl-2reb
Rittenberry: 1reb-1blk
Haston: 1ast-1stl
Frasier: 1ast
B.Stiles: 1reb
Tanner Paul had a great night for the Warriors. He also scored the first four points of the game. Around 6:51, the Jets hit a 3. Grant Slatten went and hit a jumper. Kade Clark took a charge to give the ball back to the Warriors. As Slatten took the ball down the floor, he lost control of the ball, but it came right back to his fingers, just enough so he could score it. The Jets’ Inman scored back to back layups. At 5:13, Tanner Paul went for a baseline drive and a reverse layup. He also drained a 3 on the next play. Slatten sent Inman to the line 2/2. The Jets got an over-and-back call so the ball went to the Warriors. Slatten drove it home for this play, allowing the Warriors to lead 15-9, with a couple minutes left in the first. The Jets were fouled off an offensive rebound and went 1/2 from the line. A bad call gave the Jets the ball back, and Torres got a layup out of it. Tanner Paul made another bucket by taking it all the way down the floor. The Jets made the next four points, allowing them to trail by one. Slatten shot faked and drove to the rim for 2. He was also fouled shortly after and went 2/2 at the line. At the buzzer, Tanner Paul stole it and tipped it to Slatten for a layup. The score was 23-16 in the Warriors favor after the first.
The Jets possessed the ball in the second but traded possessions with the Warriors. Cumberland’s Inman was fouled and made both. Slatten went the other way for 2. Clark took the ball north to south and was also fouled, making one. Cumberland’s Reed made a two as well. The Warriors scored the next five; Slatten hit two free throws and Thomas Paul nailed a 3. Around the six-minute mark, the Jets made two more free throws and a jumper. Japheth Richmond made back-to-back buckets for the Warriors, increasing the score to 35-24. Cumberland made a 3, and then, 35 seconds later, made a layup. Sparta and Cumberland traded baskets for a minute or so. Tanner Paul made back- to-back layups causing a Cumberland timeout. After the timeout, Tanner Paul was fouled and made one. Cumberland had the ball, and Thomas Brock blocked their shot. The Jets inbounded it, but nothing came about. With 49.8 left in the half, Tanner Paul drained a 3. He also grabbed Cumberland’s rebound and took off for a layup. White County called a timeout, with 18.4 left. Brock hit a 3 at the buzzer to take them into the half.
The Jets had the ball going into the third, trailing by 18. Slatten was sidelined with a minor injury, but the Warriors prevailed. Clark found himself with the ball downlow for a quick 2. The Jets’ Torres made a layup as well. Tanner Paul stole the ball and euro-stepped his way to his 29th point. Cumberland was called for an illegal screen, but they stole the ball back, and Torres finished another shot. Right under six minutes, Davis stole the ball, and it was knocked out of bounds. On the Warrior inbound, Tanner Paul made a four-footer. At 5:30, Tanner Paul stole the ball and slammed it. The score was 60-38 and Tanner Paul had 31 points. The Jets scored another basket. The Warriors surveyed the court with patience and found Davis off a cut for a layup. With 3:15 remaining in the third, a 3-on-1 led to Inman completing an And1 for Cumberland. Shortly, the Jets’ Torres stripped a 3. Clark made the next five points with free throws and a 3. The Warriors held the lead 67-46 with less than two minutes to go. The Jets made another basket and so did Clark, with an offensive put back. With 33 seconds left in the third, Tanner Paul stole it and laid it up, closing out the third 71-48.
The Warriors gave the crowd a bit of a scare during the fourth. As they were patient with their offense, the Jets got stops and conversions. To start the fourth, the Jets went off on a breakaway. Forty-five seconds in, Davis blocked a shot and turned the Jets over. Clark ended up fouled and went 2/2. The next play, Tanner Paul passed to Gentry on the backside for 2. The Jets made an offensive put back and started closing in on the Warriors. Clark made another layup, but the Jets made the next five points. Torres hit a jumper, and Inman made a jumper and was fouled, making the free throw. At 4:30 a charge was called on Clark, and then a White County timeout came about. After the timeout, the Jets went on a run, scoring 7. After another timeout, Clark was left wide open on the backside of an inbound play. Tanner Paul was fouled and made his first shot only of a one-and-one. He then blocked a three-point attempt from the Jets. Clark was in a scramble for the ball and was fouled. He made both free throws of the one-and-one. The Jets’ Torres and Inman made a three and a two, cutting the game to 10 points. Sparta called a timeout, with 33 seconds left. Tanner Paul was fouled again and made both. Clark was also fouled and made one, ending the game at 85-72.
Ta.Paul: 34pt-5ast-4stl-11rebs-1blk
Clark: 21pt-2ast-5rebs-1chg
Slatten: 16pt-2ast-1stl-2rebs
Richmond: 4pt-1ast-1stl-2rebs
Th.Paul: 3pt-2ast-2stl
Brock: 3pt-1ast-1reb-1blk
Gentry: 2pt-1ast-1stl-1reb
Davis: 2pt-4ast-2stl-5rebs
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