Classic continues

Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Dexter senior Katelynn Frazier (5) puts up a basket past a Doniphan defender on Monday in the quarterfinals of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic Tournament at Twin Rivers High School. Dexter got by Doniphan 80-14. (Photo by Brent Shipman, Staff)

Lady Bearcats roll, Charleston staves off elimination

sports@standard-democrat.com

BROSELEY -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats took another step to repeating as Lady Royals Christmas Classic Tournament champions on Monday with a dominant quarterfinal win over Doniphan.

Holding the Donnettes without a field goal in the first half, the Lady Bearcats were able to build a 58-point halftime lead en rout to a 80-14 win.

"I just thought our girls really got after it tonight," Dexter head coach Chad Allen said. "Their intensity was good. Every shot opportunity that Doniphan had I felt like we had a hand in their face.

"We checked every shot and made it tough on them all that first half."

Dexter (9-1) didn't allow a single point during the first quarter of the contest as they built up a 29-point advantage thanks in part to an eight point frame from Brittany Harris.

Doniphan was able to get on the board in the second, going 1 of 5 from the free throw line, but were still held without a field goal while being outscored 30-1.

After a scoreless first half of the third quarter, the Donnettes finally found a rhythm late in the frame and broke out for 11 points.

With the game already well in hand, however, Dexter kept the turbo clock running in the fourth as they advance to the semifinals.

"That first half I thought our girls did a tremendous job defensively," Allen said. "With our schedule, because we did toughened it up adding the Paragould, Ark., tournament, I think it did prepare us coming into this tournament.

"Right now we're definitely clicking on all cylinders."

Despite not playing a full three quarters, Harris easily led all comers with a 22-point night.

Her teammates Hannah Noe, Alison Jarrell and Erika Cobb added 10 points each to the Lady Bearcats' cause.

The win leaves Dexter with a few days off before the face the winner of Twin Rivers/Clearwater matchup on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the semifinals.

Doniphan01112-14
Dexter2930174-80

DONIPHAN (14) -- Carrie Rogers 3, Megan Hipps 2, Kelsey Teegarden 4, Shaylee Ficke 1, Sinora Morhmann 4. FG 4, FT 5-11, F 10. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Hipps.)

DEXTER (80) -- Dakota Reynolds 2, Mollie Whitehead 5, Katelynn Frazier 6, Hannah Noe 10, Alison Jarrell 10, Erika Cobb 10, Paige Patterson 9, Brittany Harris 22, Makayla Waldner 4, Koraline Keirsey 2. FG 36, FT 5-9, F 15. (3-pointers: Noe 1, Jarrell 2. Fouled out: none.)

Charleston 57, Malden 26

Led by a 31-point night from senior E'Neikqua Ewing, the Charleston Lady Bluejays stayed alive in the Lady Royals Christmas Classic Tournament consolation bracket with a 57-26 win over Malden.

"Her big thing is staying on the floor and doing what she has to do," Charleston head coach Josh Thompson said of Ewing. "She played the whole first three quarters tonight because she's our offense.

"You have to get her in there and make sure she can play every minute of every game, because she's what makes everything click for us."

Ewing exploded in the first quarter, scoring 16 of the Lady Bluejays' 18 points in the frame. Malden hung close heading in the second quarter, at 17-11, but another seven points from Ewing before the half helped Charleston push out to a 34-19 lead at the break.

In the second half, the Lady Green Wave didn't put up much resistance, getting outscored 19-6 in the third to give the Lady Bluejays a 28-point leading going into the fourth.

Charleston came back and put another four points on the board in the fourth while holding Malden without a field goal to seal the win.

"It's hard coming back from a (first round) loss and it took us a little bit to get in to our defense," Thompson said. "The second half we really started playing a lot better defense and it made a big difference for us."

Behind Ewing, Cheyanne Randle had eight points while Dazique Gillespie and Sierra Frazier had six each.

Justice Carlock had a team-high 10 points for the Lady Green Wave.

Charleston will play Greenville in the consolation semifinals Thursday at 5 p.m.

Charleston1816194-57
Malden11861-26

CHARLESTON (57) -- Sierra Frazier 6, Cheyenne Randle 8, Channelle Quinn 2, E'Neikqua Ewing 31, Dazique Gillespie 6, Zayvionna Murray 2, Elasya Henderson 2. FG 26, FT 3-7, F 15. (3-pointers: Gillespie 2. Fouled out: none.)

MALDEN (26) -- Daijah Johnson 2, Shamyiah Stone 9, Faith Hale 2, Justice Carlock 10, Vershonna Wade 1, Kenya McCoy 2, FG 11, FT 5-18, F 8. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none.)

Greenville 62, Kelly 34

Unable to rebound from a rough first half, the Kelly Lady Hawks fell 62-34 to Greenville on Monday bringing their run in the Lady Royals Christmas Classic Tournament to a close.

Moved to the consolation bracket after a first round loss, both teams were fighting to stay alive when the Lady Bears opened the game scoring 11-straight points.

Kelly broke out of their scoring rut on a free throw from Samantha Ratledge with 3:10 left in the first, but trailed 17-5 at the end of the frame.

Greenville once again out-paced Kelly in the second, by two points, leaving the Lady Hawks trailing 34-20 at the half.

Opening up an 8-2 run to start the third, the Lady Bears pushed their lead to 20 points and Kelly entered the final frame down 46-24 and eventually led by as many as 30.

"We have a bunch of freshman and sophomores out there," Kelly head coach Rod McQuerter said. "They played hard and scored 34 points for a jayvee and I'm very proud of them. I can't get upset at that. They're young and they're learning."

A total of of nine Lady Hawks (2-4) made it into the scoring column with Ratledge and Stephanie Worth scoring a team-high six points each.

Samantha Rainwater led the Lady Bears with 20 points while Kenzy Smith and Sarah Hillis scored 16 and 13 points each.

"Greenville is a good basketball team and they play hard," McQuerter said. "We like playing against teams like that because it teaches our young kids the right way to play."

Greenville17171216-62
Kelly515410-34

GREENVILLE (62) -- Bailey Faries 2, Samantha Rainwater 20, Kenzy Smith 16, Sarah Hillis 13, Bailey White 6, Tori Porter 5. FG 24, FT 10-24, F 18. (3-pointers: Rainwater 2, Smith 2. Fouled out: none.)

KELLY (34) -- Morgan LeDure 4, Tessa Johnson 3, Stephanie Worth 6, Alexis Dock 1, Samantha Ratledge 6, Kristi Brucker 4, Tori Duenne 2, Payton Jones 4, Logan Ivie 4. FG 12, FT 9-20, F 21. (3-pointers: Johnson. Fouled out: none.)

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