The varsity Lady Yellow Jacket basketball team got back in the win column Tuesday, Feb. 9 with a 58-23 road victory over Andrews. On Friday, Feb. 12, Hayesville traveled to Cherokee and after putting up a valiant effort, came up short to the Lady Braves 59-58.
Low offensive production was the story for both teams early on with the Lady Jackets faced Andrews. Hayesville held a slim 7-6 lead after the opening quarter, but 19 points in the second pushed the Lady Jackets ahead 26-14 by halftime.
In the third quarter, Hayesville looked dominant. The Lady Jackets put up 24 points while holding Andrews to 5. Scoring cooled for the black and Vegas gold brigade in the fourth, but their offense performance was good enough to seal the 58-23 victory.
Lila Payne's 11 points were the most for the Lady Jackets which was followed by Brianna Foster with 10 and Cecilia Jones and Jocelin Buckner who had 6 points each.
Hayesville jumped out to an early lead against Cherokee thanks to an 11-9 run in the first quarter. The Lady Braves battled back in the second with 20 points, giving them a 29-25 lead at the break.
A 17-14 third quarter put the Lady Jackets in a deeper hole as the foes headed into the fourth stanza. Hayesville was able to record a double-digit quarter total for the fourth time in the game, but it just was enough as Cherokee held on to get the 59-50 win.
Payne was again the top scorer for Hayesville with 19 points. Lizzy Brusini and Foster both had double-digit totals with 12 and 10 respectively. Cecilia Jones found the bucket for 4 points.
The Lady Jackets are scheduled to end their season Thursday, Feb. 18 in Swain County. Fans can cheer the team on virtually by tuning into the "Clay County Schools" YouTube channel at 6:30 p.m.