GHS—MIDWAY11-07-16
By GALEN WELLNICKI
After dropping a season opener they could have won to Class 6A Waco Midway on Monday night at Eagle Gym, Georgetown’s highly-ranked Lady Eagles will try to discover the victory path on Thursday in the Lady Spartan Classic at Burleson Centennial.
GHS will open tournament play at 3 p.m. Thursday against the Lubbock Westerners, who opened their season Tuesday night at home against Brownfield. Pending on how they fare in the tournament opener, the Lady Eagles will play either Leander or Fort Worth Paschal at 10:30 a.m. Friday. The semifinals in both the winners and losers brackets are at 4:30 p.m., Friday.
If both teams advance as expected, Georgetown could face the same Midway team that bested them 64-57 on Monday in the semifinals. Midway opens tourney play on Thursday against Bridgeport and will face either Dallas Christian or Midlothian in the quarterfinals.
Monday’s loss to Midway came in a somewhat-bizarre contest that showcased 61 fouls—31 on the Pantherettes and 30 on GHS—79 free throws and seven disqualifications—four Lady Eagles and three Pantherettes fouled out in the final six minutes and 44 seconds of the game. For Georgetown senior point guard Brooke Elliott it marked the first fouled out of her career.
Basically, Georgetown controlled the first half. The Lady Eagles led 19-12 after the first quarter, using a seven-point run led by 6-foot-1 senior Dee Day to gain separation, and increased the advantage to 37-29 at the half as 18 of the 32 points in the second quarter were scored at the free-throw line.
However, with Elliott sitting out most of the third period because of fouls, Midway, which improved its record to 2-0, scored 11 of the first 13 points in the quarter to reverse the course of the game and led 49-48 after three quarters. GHS battled back early in the fourth period, but the Pantherettes took the lead for good at 52-50 on a basket by JaNaya Davis that ignited a six-point run that put them up 56-50 with 4:20 to go. The Lady Eagles—with four starters trooping to the bench because of fouls—never the cut the lead to less than five points in the closing minutes.
Twin sister Taylor Elliott, Day and Maddie Vickers were the other Lady Eagles to foul out.
“We handled their pressure early,” GHS coach Rhonda Farney said. “But the third quarter with Brooke off the floor took its toll. They wore us down at that point in the game. You have to remember with have four players with varsity experience (three starters in the Elliott’s and Day) and four new players on the (basic) eight-player varsity roster. We’ll be going back to the drawing board on a few things.”
Midway standout Barbara Benson led all scorers with 22 points, including 14 in the second half. Georgetown put three players in double-digits with 6-1 freshman Emery Herman leading the way with 14 and Day and B. Elliott adding in 13 and 11 points, respectively. Herman made 12 of 15 free throws.
GHS shot 40 percent from the floor, making 15 of 37 (40 percent) and hit 26 of 39 from the (55 percent), while Midway made 17 of 48 from the floor, with most of its misses coming on a 3-of-20 effort from beyond the arc, and hit 27 of 40 from the line.
“We were very pleased with our young players who lack varsity experience (Herman, Knight, Vickers and Weirich). They played very physical and will get better with playing time. Also, EJ (Emily) Jones did some very good things,” Farney commented. Ali Isbell, up from the JV, helped down the stretch when fouls disqualified four starters for the Lady Eagles.
On the JV level, Midway used eight 3-pointers to claim a 50-45 victory over the Lady Eagles. Ali Isbell led GHS with 20 points and Jade Smith added 13.
Despite a 17-point performance by McCall Hampton, who also sang the National Anthem prior to the varsity game, GHS Freshman Blue dropped a 63-53 decision to Midway.
The GHS Freshman White played Austin Bowie on the road Tuesday night.
VARSITY
MIDWAY 64, GHS 57
MIDWAY (64) — Keziah Bochert 0-0 0-0 0, Elise Tate 1-5 0-0 3, Madison Burns 0-0 0-0 0, TaNaya Davis 4-5 5-8 13, Barbara Benson 7-12 8-9 22, DaJia Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Chelsea Harris 2-8 9-14 14, Aliyah Parks 0-2 0-0 0, Kayla White 0-0 0-0 0, Caleyah Burrell 2-7 4-7 9, Shae Issac 0-0 0-0 0, Reggie Allen 0-3 1-1 1, Gilliam Crain 0-0 0-0 0, Ashlyn Gorrell 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 17-48 27-40 64.
GHS (57)—Brooke Elliott 3-7 4-5 11, Ali Isbell 0-0 0-0 0, Josie Weirich 2-5 3-6 7, Taylor Elliott 0-3 2-5 5, Jaelyn Knight 2-6 0-2 4, Maddie Vickers 1-2 0-0 2, Emery Herman 1-1 12-15 14, Dee Day 5-10 3-4 13, Emily Jones 1-3 2-2 5. Totals: 15-37 26-39, 57.
Halftime: GHS, 37-29. 3-point shooting: Midway 3-20 (Tate 1-5, Benson 0-1, Davis 0-1, Harris 1-5, Parks 0-2, Burrell 1-3, Crain 0-2, Gorrell 0-1); GHS 1-7 (B. Elliott 1-2, Weirich 0-3, T. Elliott 0-2). Rebounds: Midway 22 (Harris 5, Davis 4, White 3); GHS 24 (Day 6, T. Elliott 4, Jones 4, Knight 3, Herman 3, Vickers 2, T. Elliott 2). Assists: GHS 8 (B. Elliott 5, Weirich 2, Jones 1). Blocks: GHS 1 (Day). Steals: GHS 11 (Day 4, Herman 3, T. Elliott 2, Vickers 1, B. Elliott 1). Turnovers: Midway 12, GHS 8. Total fouls: Midway 31, GHS 30. Fouled out: Midway: Tate (6:44, fourth); Harris (4:05, fourth); Burrell (3:27, fourth). GHS: T. Elliott (5:59, fourth); B. Elliott (5:31, fourth); Day (4:25 fourth), Vickers (2:54, fourth). Technical fouls: Midway 1; GHS 1. Records: Midway, 2-0; GHS, 0-1.
SUB-VARSITY
Junior Varsity
MIDWAY 50, GHS 45
MIDWAY (50)—Kayla Hill 3, Zipporah Bible 5, KImariee Rivers 3, Jordan Gus 6, Alasia Capetillo 8, Lanaiya Parker 1, Shamaryah Duncan 21, Reese Rivers 3. Totals: 19-4-50.
GHS (45)—Gracie Speer 8, Morgan Bruning 0, Ali Isbell 20, Samari O’Brien 4, Shelby Jones 0, Miranda Gil 0, Jade Smith 13. 12-17-45.
Halftime: GHS, 19-17. 3-point baskets: Midway 8 (Capetillo 2, Duncan 2, Rivers 1, Reese 1, Hill 1, Bible 1); GHS 2 (Isbell 2). GHS record: 0-1.
Freshmen
MIDWAY 63, GHS 53
MIDWAY (63)—Jakoriah Long 9, Taylor Davis 10, J’Lynn Gus 11, Reaghan Ridge 20, Michala Pullen Moore 7, Jordyn Harris 6. Totals: 24-7-63.
GHS (53)—Hailey Hanson 2, Kylie Ellsworth 2, Kylee Sander 10, Mercedes Robledo 5, Keiana San Miguel 11, McCall Hampton 17, Mackenzy Mouton 6. Totals: 20-12-63. Halftime: Midway, 31-23. 3-point baskets: Midway 7 (Ridge 5, Long 1, Davis 1); GHS 1 (Robledo). GHS record: 0-1.