A 20-game loser only a season and a half ago, the Clay County Lady Tigers have come a long way in a short time in their quest to get back to the top of a region they once owned.
The Lady Tigers won 16 games a year ago and appear in position to improve on that total this season with a veteran squad back that improved to 3-2 on the season with a 73-55 win Tuesday at Harlan. Clay led all the way but had to hold off a late charge by the Lady Dragons, who cut a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter to 11 with 5:30 left. Clay turned four straight Harlan turnovers into points to reclaim control.
“We’ve talked a lot lately about playing four good quarters instead of two and a half,” said Clay County coach Gemma Gray. “We still have some youth in a couple of spots. We switched defenses a couple of times and got going back in the right direction.”
“We did turn the ball over and the score may say otherwise, but there were a lot of small victories for our team,” Harlan coach Mackenzie Varner said. “They fought hard to cut it to 11. We were trying to get it down to eight with four minutes left, but the growth from the last game to today is impressive, in my opinion.
The loss was the sixth straight for the 1-6 Lady Dragons who have played three of the region’s top six teams in the past week.
“Playing tough teams like that will set us up for the All “A”, hopefully, and get us better,” Varner said. “The fight they had today and not giving up was our biggest achievement today.”
Eighth grade guard Maci White led the Lady Tigers with 19 points. Junior center Madison Pendland hit seven of eight shots and finished with 18 points, Senior guard Lauryn Sizemore chipped in with 10 points.
“We’ve had a couple of girls transfer in so we can put some shooters around Fultz. I’m happy with what we’ve got right now. I want to continue working with them and watch them continue to get better,” Gray said.
Senior guard Cheyenne Rhymer scored 19 points to lead the Lady Dragons. Peyshaunce Wynn and Raegan Goodman added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Fultz and White each had three baskets in the first quarter as Clay hit 10 of 17 shots to built a 25-17 lead. Rhymer kept Harlan within striking distance with three baskets in the period.
Harlan hit only two of 13 shots in the second quarter as Clay stretched its lead to 41-25 at the break with Sizemore and Fultz each recording two baskets.
Clay pushed its lead to 21 points early in the third period, but Harlan fought back behind Rhymer and Goodman to get within 16 heading into the final period. Baskets by Addison Campbell and Goodman got the Lady Dragons within 11, at 62-51, with 5:30 left but four straight turnovers sparked an 11-2 run to put the game out of reach.
The 1-6 Lady Dragons play at Middlesboro on Friday in a girls/boys district doubleheader. The 3-2 Lady Tigers return to action Thursday in a tournament at Gatlinburg, Tenn.
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Anna Samples scored 17 points, Harper Rice tossed in 13 and Any Wagers added 12 as Clay County won 49-24 in junior varsity action.
Addy Patton led the 2-2 Lady Dragons with eight points. Talae Taylor scored six and was followed by Torrie Sundy with five, Jerrah Phillips with three and Clarissa Yost with two.
