The hot-shooting Calhoun Yellow Jackets delivered a region basketball loss to Gilmer High.
The GHS Lady Cats made the trip last Wednesday to take on the Yellow Jackets (8-5), and some defensive adjustments finally slowed Calhoun. The Cats emerged from the locker room at the half down by 12. While they chipped away the Jackets’ lead over the final two quarters, Calhoun held on for a 55-49 win.
Head coach David Dowse noted that Calhoun’s height advantage gave GHS issues.
“They’re talented for sure and are a tough matchup for us,” he said. “They have some good size, we didn’t guard them well in the first half and they hardly missed a shot in the first half. We switched up defenses in the second half and played much better.
“If not for the second quarter, it probably would’ve gone down to the wire. When we’re playing to our ability, we can play with them. And we did that for three quarters, but we needed four.”
Gilmer played both man and zone defenses in the first half, and the Jackets torched the latter. Over the final two quarters, the Cats played strictly man defense, which stifled Calhoun’s offensive production.
CHS shot 49 percent from the field. While Gilmer was hot from outside and drained 10/21 three-point attempts, the Cats made just 5/17 two-point shots.
After only trailing 17-16 at the conclusion of the first quarter, CHS opened a 34-22 halftime advantage. The Cats hit four three pointers in the third as Jace Sanderson made three of her five. Aliza Chastain hit a three as well while both Bree Burnette and Paula Robertson made two free throws.
GHS cut Calhoun’s lead down to 44-38 entering the fourth. Chastain’s three pointer with four minutes left in the game trimmed Calhoun’s lead to 49-45. However, a quick 6-0 run gave CHS a 10-point cushion en route to its six-point win.
Sanderson scored 21 and nabbed three steals. Chastain added 12 points, and Robertson finished with eight points, six rebounds and five assists. Burnette scored eight points.
GHS is 7-7 overall and hosts Northwest Whitfield (10-3) today at 6 p.m.