The Gilmer Lady Cats showed vast improvement in a pair of road victories.
GHS continued its nonregion schedule versus Murray County last Tuesday. The Cats were able to secure a six-point lead at the half before the Indians evened the score heading into the fourth. The Cats bumped the margin back to six by the final buzzer for their first win of the season, 66-60.
The Cats trailed at Sonoraville Friday through two quarters of play, but a 27-point performance in the third put the Phoenix in a bind. Gilmer kept SHS from within striking distance in the fourth to earn a 59-52 victory.
“It was good to score 66 points on the road against a good team like Murray,” said head coach Dani Wright. “Seeing them go out there and do things they didn’t do last year, it’s a good feeling. They’re finding open shots, and it was just some really fun basketball.
“It was good for them to see they could play a good quality team. The region is just so tough, and I think they’re starting to see they’re capable of being better and doing good things.”
GHS won the game at the three-point line. MCHS shot markedly better from two-point range — 58 percent compared to Gilmer’s 32 — but the Indians continually fired away from outside. Murray made just 2/14 long-range attempts, while the Lady Cats drained 9/20.
After Gilmer’s Aliza Chastain was held scoreless in the opening quarter, she totaled 27 points over the remaining three.
Both Lucy Ray and Madison Bradshaw hit three pointers in the first, which ended tied, 14-14. The Cats sank four more threes in the second to lead 37-31 at the half.
After only committing four turnovers in the first half, the Cats lost possession of the ball five times in the third, and the score was even at 40-all with eight minutes to play.
The Cats made just four shots from the field in the fourth, but they shot 8/12 from the free-throw line. Murray was able to cut Gilmer’s lead to four, but the Indians could not overtake the Cats in the final minutes.
Ray finished with 11 points and three assists, and Grace Bramlett scored nine. Chastain added five rebounds and three assists. Chelsey Griggs was the Cats’ top rebounder with six.
The Cats shot just 25 percent from the field in the first quarter versus Sonoraville. However, the Phoenix only managed to make 1/14 attempts, and poor shooting plagued them all night.
Thanks to five made SHS free throws, Gilmer was only able to lead by three points entering the second. Both teams shot better before halftime, and SHS slipped ahead, 24-22.
The sophomore duo of Griggs and Bree Burnette accounted for nine and seven points, respectively, in the third period. Chastain and Sophia Riblet chipped in on the offensive end as well, and GHS was able to open a nine-point lead.
Shots stopped falling for both teams in the fourth, and they also struggled from the free-throw line. GHS maintained a 10-point cushion for most of the quarter before a Phoenix surge allowed them to cut the Cats’ lead to 53-49 with 1:21 to play.
Burnette, Chastain and Ray combined to shoot 5/6 from the free-throw line over the remainder of the game to preserve the win.
Wright discussed the keys to victory, noting, “They played composed and had a really good three-point percentage (46) for the whole game. They were very coachable. At the end during situations they listened to what we needed to do, and I’m just so proud of them.
“We have a tough week coming up, and these last two games have been good for team morale. The girls have been buying in a little bit more and a little bit more every day.”
Gilmer is 2-2 overall and hosted No. 4 ranked Pickens at press deadline. The Cats travel to Dawson County Friday for a 7 p.m. tipoff and host Fannin County Saturday at 3 p.m.