Warriors protect home court

The Warriors started out slow and trailed at the end of the first quarter. Coffee came out ready to play and it seemed like it would be a long night for the Warriors. They took control of the game, though, and pulled it out 15.

They won the tip, but missed the first shot. Coffee took it to the other end and got put on the line 2/2. After a travel call on the Warriors, Coffee hit a backside player for a layup. Another miss from the Warriors gave the Raiders the momentum in transition for two. Around 5:54, White County turned the ball over, and Coffee made another basket. They led 8-0 within the first three minutes. The Warriors inbounded the ball, and Kade Clark made a two after a few passes. The Raiders made another bucket, but Grant Slatten bounced back with a step back three. With 3:45 remaining in the first, Coffee made a three, but so did Gentry, 8-13. From Coffee’s inbound play, another three was made. Clark drove to the rim and was fouled going up. He made both at the line. Less than a minute, Slatten found himself on a breakaway for a dunk. The Raiders scored once more before the end of the first. 12-18 Coffee County.

A minute had passed in the second before a shot was made. White County made a two and started chipping away at the difference. Thirty seconds later, Coffee made a two. The Warriors dribbled to the other end, and Gentry sank a three. Slatten blocked a Raider shot, which allowed the Warriors to get down the court. Thomas Paul drained a three to tie the game at 20. A few turnovers and no-scoring possessions passed by, and the Raiders made a 3. Slatten came off of a screen with a spin move for 2. The Warriors trailed by 1 with three minutes to go in the half. Coffee score another 2 but Gentry answered with a 3. This tied it at 25 with less than a minute. Clark stole the ball but missed his layup. Tanner Paul followed and put it back. The Warriors tool the lead here and wouldn’t give it up—27-25.

White County owned the ball starting the third quarter. A foul was called and the Warriors took the ball on the sideline. Slatten got the ball and drove the lane. Slatten got fouled on the next play and passed to Clark off of the inbound. Clark got fouled with a counted basket but missed the free throw. He went on the other end and took a charge to get the ball back. Four minutes in, Slatten finds Davis up the floor for a wide-open layup. Coffee hadn’t scored yet, so they call a timeout; 33-25. After their timeout, Clark put up an offensive rebound. Shortly after, he completed an And1. Gentry blocked a Raider shot, which opened the opportunity for a Davis 3. Coffee called another timeout. This time, the Warriors led 41-25. The Raiders scored six points in the third and all were under the last three minutes. The Warriors scored a few more times. Clark took another charge and Slatten got called for goal-tending. This ended our third quarter 46-33.

The fourth quarter was more of the same. Coffee hit a three right out of the break and then a two to cut the lead to eight. The Warriors went on a small run, scoring six straight. Coffee tried their best to bring down the Warriors and to trade baskets. Coffee pressed, but Sparta’s scoring drive was unstoppable. The Warriors finished strong and won 70-55.

Slatten: 28pt-3ast-8rebs-2blk

Clark: 15pt-8rebs-2stl

Gentry: 9pt-2rebs-1stl

Ta.Paul: 8pt-7ast-10rebs-2stl-2blk

Th.Paul: 5pt-1ast-1reb-1stl-1blk

Davis: 5pt-1stl-3rebs

Toward the beginning of the season, the Warriorettes traveled to Coffee County. They played a hard-fought, overtime game, but lost. Looking to get revenge, Sparta hosted the Lady Raiders, on Friday night. The game didn’t go as planned for the Warriorettes. The game was very close until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. By the end of the game, Sparta was outrebounded 38-16. 

Coffee County won the tip, but drove to the rim and missed. Alaina Stiles finished an offensive board to jump start the Warriorettes 2-0. After a jump ball and a few turnovers, Coffee scored back to back. Gracie Dodgen scored off of the backside of Coffee’s press. She tied the score at four, with 4:47 to go. The Lady Raiders put back an offensive rebound. Morgan Quick answered with a three. Coffee found Vinson in transition for a layup. They had the ball for three straight possessions due to fouls and scored on the last one. They led 10-7. Within the last minute, Addison Frazier threw the ball up the court to Nia Powers for the last shot of the quarter.

The score was 9-10 Coffee going into the second. Mia Murray made an incredible pass through the defense to Powers for two. Murray fouled Gannon on the other end where she went 2/2 to lead by one. Sparta had two opportunities to score from offensive rebounds but could not convert. After missed free throws from Gannon, Celeste Reed dribbled down and passed to Stiles, who passed right back to Reed for two. The score 13-12 White County. Both teams turned the ball over several times so neither scored for a minute and a half. With 4:16 left in the half, the Lady Raiders took advantage of a backside find. Quick drained a three after a timeout, but Vinson went backdoor for a layup. This tied it at 16 around three minutes. Stiles grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it to Reed for two. Vinson made the next four points within the span of a minute. Coffee went up two, but Powers drove the lane and was fouled going up. She was also fouled right at the buzzer. She made the four foul shots to take the lead 22-20 at the half.

Coffee possessed the ball for the third, and Chumley stepped up big time for the Lady Raiders. She scored on the first possession tying the game at 22. Murray was fouled on the floor, so Sparta had the inbound. She then got the ball back and took it to the hole. Chumley drove down the lane for two. Frazier made her way to the rim and fouled going up—she made both. Once again, Chumley hit a two, with a step through shot. A minute later, 4:17, a foul sent Vinson to the line 2/2. After a few misses and offensive rebounds from the Warriorettes, Stiles laid up a 2. The ball came back to Sparta and Dodgen attacked the defense and kicked to Stiles for a two on the block. The score was 30-28. Both teams would score once more before the buzzer, making it 32-30 White County going into the fourth.

Sparta had a tough time making their shots. A minute and a half passed before someone had scored. It was Chumley with the drive for two. Murray got fouled on a spin move for an And1, but missed the free throw. Reed fouled Chumley on the other end for 2/2 foul shots. Once again, the score was tied: 34-34. A walk from Coffee gave the ball to the Warriorettes, where Powers was fouled and went 1/2. Murray and Quick had two traps that led to White County ball. Powers hit an elbow jumper, with 4:17 remaining. The ball slipped through Sparta’s defense and made its way to Gannon for two. A fouled Chumley and 2/2 at the line allowed Coffee to take the lead and not look back. Vinson was also fouled and went 2/2. 37-40 with two minutes left in the game. The Warriorettes looked to foul and sent Coffee to the line every possession down the floor. Stiles and Murray scored two buckets, and Powers made one at the buzzer, but 12 points from the free throw line for Coffee sealed the game. The Warriorettes lost 43-52. Coffee outscored Sparta 22-11 in the last quarter.

         Powers: 15pt-3reb

         Stiles: 8pt-5reb

         Quick: 6pt-3reb

         Murray: 6pt-6ast

         Reed: 4pt-4reb

         Frazier: 2pt-3ast-2stl

         Dodgen: 2pt