Photo by Linda McKinney
Pictured with their trophy are, front, from left, Karina Mays, Karah Nicholson, Erin Burleson, Alexis McGreger, Sam Wilkins, Bryanna Miller, Blake Martin, Erin Lomenick; and standing, same order, Keranie Jones, Savanah Woods, Kaylee Patterson, Julia Nicholson, Mary Neely Jones, Peyton Stephenson and Hailey McMinn. The Marshall Academy girls are coached by Michael Clifton and Bryan Miller.
Photo by Barry Burleson
Michael Mabon (3) of Byers takes a jump shot with Marshall’s Jacob Gadd defending.
Exavier Martin (35) of Byers launches a short shot over Marshall Academy’s Cordarius Thomas.
Photos by Barry Burleson
(Left) Lady Cardinal Destinee Hannah shoots versus two Lady Wolves. (Middle) Shaun Gorman of Potts Camp dunks versus Rossville. (Right) Marshall’s Jeremiah Jones scores on a lay-up.
MA hosts holiday tournament
Seven games featured county teams on day one of the Marshall Academy Christmas Tournament with the Potts Camp and MA girls winning two games each and the H.W. Byers boys getting their first win of the season.
PC girls-Rossville
The Lady Cardinals got 21 points, 14 rebounds and four steals from Destinee Hannah in a 52-23 win over Rossville Christian Academy (Tenn.).
In the opening game of the two-day tourney, the Potts Camp girls built a commanding 31-11 halftime lead. They stretched it to 44-15 in the fourth quarter on LaKayla Collins’ three before winning by 29.
Ashley Anderson had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Lady Cards.
Marshall JV-W. Memphis
The MA junior varsity boys, trailing the bulk of the game, rallied for a 47-45 victory over West Memphis Christian (Ark.).
Kyler Moncrief hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer.
The Patriots were down 10-0 early and 13-7 at the end of the first quarter. They got to within two in the second on Moncrief’s drive to the goal but were down 27-22 at the half.
Marshall got its first lead on Quay Turnage’s basket in the third but found itself trailing 41-38 after three.
Jeremiah Jones, who finished with 13 points, gave MA some momentum in the fourth as the Pats won by two.
Drayton Potts and Everette Jones scored 10 each for the Pats.
MA girls-Byers
Thirteen Lady Patriots scored as the host team eased to a 61-12 win over Byers.
Sam Wilkins’ steal and lay-up put MA up 26-0 five minutes into the game.
The Lady Pats led 35-0 after one quarter, 45-5 at halftime and 53-8 at the end of the third.
Wilkins was MA’s top scorer with 13 points. Julia Nicholson added 12.
For Byers, Myesha Buffington had six.
PC-Rossville boys
The Cardinals let a halftime lead slip away and fell 73-64 to the Wolves from neighboring Tennessee.
Shaun Gorman’s slam gave Potts Camp a 4-2 lead at the 6:00 mark of the opening period. A minute later, his putback made it 8-2.
The Cards were on top 12-9 after one quarter and 29-27 at the halfway point.
But Rossville caught fire in the third and surged ahead 54-40 at the end of that quarter. The Wolves led by as many as 16 in the fourth.
A never-say-die Potts Camp squad cut its deficit to six with 1:19 left before losing by nine.
Mitchell Saulsberry had 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Trell Kimmons scored 13. Gorman had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
PC girls-TCPS
The Lady Cardinals cruised to their second win in the tournament – 57-34 over Tupelo Christian.
Hannah and A. Anderson again led the way. Hannah scored 19 points, with 13 of those coming in the second half, and she grabbed 14 rebounds. A. Anderson had 18 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Collins dished out five assists.
Potts Camp led 13-8 after one quarter, 27-15 at the half and 44-26 following three quarters.
MA girls-Fayette
Three Marshall Lady Patriots scored in double digits as they knocked off Fayette Academy (Tenn.) 49-33.
Nicholson was the top point producer with 15, while Blake Martin scored 11 and Bryanna Miller 10.
Miller’s back-to-back threes gave MA some spark to end the first quarter and a 16-6 lead. Alexis McGreger opened the second quarter with a three, and Nicholson’s bucket on the break made it 22-8. It was 31-13 at halftime.
Martin opened the third with back-to-back buckets. MA led by 20 at the end of the third and was up by as many as 23 in the fourth before winning by 16.
MA boys-Byers
The thriller of the day was the last game of the day. In a back-and-forth contest, a fired-up bunch of Byers Lions turned back the Patriots 59-57 for their first win of the season.
Byers went up 5-0 early but threes from Potts and Jacob Gadd gave MA a lead. At the end of the first, the Pats were up 18-14.
MA led by 11 in the second when Eli Pearson drilled a three.
But KaDamion Rhyan, Kaderious Rhyan and Michael Mabon led a surge that got the Lions to within one, 32-31, at the half.
Byers kept the momentum in the third and led 40-35 at the end of the period.
Peyton Taylor and Rahmon Rutherford got hot for the Pats in the fourth, and with 2:50 left, the host team was on top 51-46.
However, KaDamion Rhyan answered with a pair of threes and it was 52-51 in favor of Byers.
The game was tied at 54 with 50 seconds left. KaDamion Rhyan sank yet another clutch three, this one from very long range, with 30 seconds remaining. Then Kaderious Rhyan nailed a couple of huge free throws in the closing seconds.
MA had a shot to tie or win it at the buzzer but came up short.
Mabon cashed in a game-high 21 points for the Lions. KaDamion Rhyan added 15 and Kaderious Rhyan 10.
For Marshall, Rutherford scored 15, Taylor 12 and Pearson 11.