STOPPING THE SCOTTIES

Whitley County Sierra Anderson passes the ball out front as Head Coach Larry Anderson, her dad, and assistant coach Donnie Jones looks on.

The Whitley County Lady Colonels won their 10^th game in a row Monday night when they routed the Jackson County Lady Generals, 88-40 at Lawson Gym.

It was the third win in four days for the Lady Colonels, who came from behind to beat North Laurel, 75-58 Friday, then knocked off 14^th ranked Glasgow, 59-43 in the Cancer Awareness Classic Saturday at Pulaski County High School.

Whitley County Coach Larry Anderson said despite rolling over the Lady Generals his team came out flat in the first quarter. “They played well in the first quarter and we didn’t,” he said.

The Lady Colonels did, however, take a 25-18 lead after the first eight minutes as freshman Taylor Dingess came out on fire and nailed three 3-pointers in the quarter.

Whitley County (20-6) picked up their defensive intensity in the second and third quarters, outscoring Jackson County 47-7. The Lady Generals managed just one point in the second quarter as the Lady Colonels scored 25 points and took a 50-19 lead into the half.

“We played two solid quarters of defense,” Anderson said. “We put some pressure on them and cut out the easy points.”

Sophomore Brandi Smith scored 13 points in the second frame while Dingess, who led all scorers in the win with 26 points, added five points.

Whitley Co. 59, Glasgow 43: The Lady Colonels got an impressively easy win over the Lady Scotties of Glasgow, ranked 14^th in the state last week according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Glasgow had won seven straight and 15 out of their last 16 points before the Lady Colonels tagged the western Kentucky team with the 16-point loss.

The Lady Scotties had suffered just three losses prior to the game, losing to Monroe County (59-55), Clay County (54-49) and Monroe County in the 4^th Region All “A” finals, 51-46.

“This is a big win for our team,” Anderson said. “I think we played one of our best games of the season.  I think defensively it was the best. A couple of times in the third and fourth quarters we got out of position down in the paint and let Haley Perkins knock down a couple of shots, but overall our team defense was good.”

“We did a good job on the boards not giving them second shots,” Anderson said. “I thought we did a good job answering all of their runs. Somebody came up and knocked a big one down every time they tried to make a run at us.”

“I thought Kandace Craig did a good job competing on the boards,” Anderson said. “That’s the thing that she can bring to us that nobody else can. She is so strong in there, we just need for her to be the Windex lady and just clean those boards every time.”

Glasgow took an early 4-0 lead, but Whitley County came back to tie the score at 7-7 and went on to outscored the Lady Scotties 11-3 and take a 18-10 score into the second period.

Whitley County held Glasgow to six second quarter points while the Lady Colonels added 12 points. Maria Johnson had a 3-pointer and Bethany Powers took a steal to the basket for a 23-13 lead. Powers added another basket before Glasgow’s Hydeia Depp hit one-of-two from the free throw line.

Smith scored five straight points including a three-point play as Whitley County took a 30-14 lead in the game. Glasgow’s Kelsey Greer hit two free throws just before the end of the half as the Lady Colonels took a 30-16 lead to the break.

Whitley County began to pull away early in the third quarter when Sierra Anderson hit a 3-pointer and Craig went inside the paint for a basket. After a Glasgow free throw, Powers scored from close range and Johnson added a three-point play, as Whitley County owned a 40-17 lead.

The Lady Scotties could get no closer than the final margin.

Four players finished in double figures with Smith leading the way with 16 points. Anderson added 14 points while Powers and Craig tossed in 10 points each.

Whitley Co. 75, North Laurel 58: It was Senior Night at North Laurel Friday evening and the Lady Jaguars came out ready to play. North Laurel jumped all over the Lady Colonels and led 22-13 at the first stop. The North Laurel lead could be in double-digits before long as Tiffany Woolum and Samantha Profitt led the Lady Jaguars to a 39-30 margin at the half.

However, it was the Whitley County defense that proved to be the difference. The Lady Colonels press began to result in North Laurel turnovers and Whitley County outscored the Lady Jaguars, 24-10.

Whitley County took a 54-49 lead into the final quarter and never looked back. The Lady Colonels, led by Smith’s 31 points, went on to win by 17 points.

“We woke up and played hard in the second half,” Anderson said. “I was a little worried at the half.”

Whitley County goes for win number 21 Friday night when they host the Bell County Lady Kats.

Whitley Co. 88, Jackson Co. 40

Jackson Co.            18    1   6   15- 40

Whitley Co.            25  25  22  16- 88

   Jackson Co. (40) – Belt 5, Rose 14, Bowling 8, Crowe 2, Vickers 6, Potter 5.

   Whitley Co. (88) – Powers 7, Smith 20, Craig 4, Johnson 4, Anderson 10, Sizemore 2, Holbrook 9, Dingess 26, Terry 6.

Whitley Co. 59, Glasgow 43

Whitley Co.            18  12  15  14- 59

Glasgow            10    6  12  14- 43

   Whitley Co. (59) – Powers 10, Smith 16, Craig 10, Johnson 6, Anderson 14, Dingess 3.

Glasgow (43) – Perkins 16, Greer 9, Smith 11, Ray 3, Depp 1, Phelps 1, Glover 2.

Whitley Co. 75, North Laurel 58

Whitley Co.            13  17  24  21- 75

North Laurel            22  17  10    9- 58

   Whitley Co. (75) – Powers 13, Smith 31, Craig 5, Johnson 15, Anderson 8, Sizemore 1, Terry 2.

   North Laurel (58) – Woolum 11, Boggs 6, Profitt 19, Ellington 7, Bruner 11, Prichard 2, Gay 2.