Gary Corsair • Progress Hayesville spark-plug Micallyn McClure, No. 10, zips a pass to the corner for the final shot of the game during a 32-29 overtime loss to Cherokee. Unfortunately, the Lady Jackets didn't get the tying basket.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Shooting woes continued to plague the shorthanded Lady Jackets as they dropped two conference tilts and one a throwaway non-con game last week.
“We’re still struggling offensively and have to find some ways to produce points,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure stated. “Hopefully we can get healthy and play our best basketball down the stretch.”
McClure is especially anxious for the return of Ava Shook, who leads Hayesville in scoring, assists and steals. Illness sidelined Shook all last week and the Lady Jackets missed her badly.
Cherokee 67,
Hayesville 24
There were two winners when Cherokee’s ball-stealing, shot-blocking speed merchants rolled into town Friday with a gaudy 15-2 record.
The Smoky Mountain Conference bad girls were declared victors by an unkind score, but the Lady Jackets (9-9 overall, 3-4 conference) were winners in the all-important categories of sportsmanship, competitiveness and never quit.
Images from the final minute of a game decided an hour earlier support that claim: Peck racing toward the corner in an all-out effort to block a meaningless three-point shot; Brooks diving and wrestling the ball away from a Lady Brave who shoved her in frustration and Clampitt springing for a defensive board as if the score was tied.
That’s the way Hayesville rolled all night: Bryleigh Krieger protecting hard-earned rebounds by swinging her elbows to shake off pesky Lady Braves; Breanna Abrams stabbing at the ball as Cherokee dribblers bobbed and weaved around the perimeter; tireless Emma Ashe scooting along the baseline in search of unoccupied real estate she could launch from; Brooke Graves dropping to the hardwood to pull the ball away from the enemy; Kayla Brown blocking out under the basket as if her life depended on keeping Cherokee’s towering Joscelyn Stamper off the glass; JV call-ups Micalynn McClure, Ava Moore and Kadence Morrow snaring rebounds.
“I really thought we played with much more effort and physicality,” McClure remarked.
Ironically, the Lady Jackets were brutal statistically — 37 turnovers, five percent shooting from the field, 18 percent from distance, and 59 percent from the charity line — yet Hayesville showed a 28-point improvement over an 84-13 loss to Cherokee on Dec. 17.
Credit Hayesville with improved defense — nine steals and Abrams blocked two shots, a better effort on the boards — 30 rebounds, including nine on offense and a refusal to let up even though floor general Shook couldn’t go.
Abrams was turnover prone. So were 17 other point guards hassled by Cherokee’s jitterbug back court this season. In her role as Shook’s replacement, but led the team in scoring with 8. Lil’ Dynamite was Hayesville’s only hot hand. Abrams hit her only 3-point try and canned 5-of-6 from the free throw line and was the only Lady Jacket to record at least one block, one steal and one assist.
Brooks’ gutty performance accounted for 6 points, five rebounds and 3-of-4 popping from the charity stripe. Krieger only attempted a few shots but nailed her lone 3-point try and tied Peck for the lead in rebounds with six. Clampitt had a team-high three steals, five rebounds and Hayesville’s only 2-point basket. Ashe and Graves had rebounds apiece.
Swain 35, Hayesville 27
Peck scored 11 points and snared 10 rebounds but her impressive effort wasn’t enough to lift the cold-shooting Lady Jackets.
Hayesville didn’t have a single player reach 50 percent from the field or the 3-point line in a winnable Smoky Mountain Conference game against a Swain squad with a 4-11 record (1-4 in the SMC).
Hayesville was cold from start. Meanwhile, Swain buried three triples on the way to a 18-2 first quarter in which Peck was the only Lady Jacket to tally.
Hayesville played the hosts even the rest of the way and mounted a fourth-quarter comeback as Brooks dialed long distance three times and Peck dropped 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
Unfortunately, the rally came too late.
“I felt like Tuesday was a disaster,” McClure stated. “We panicked and didn’t play well at all.”
Brooks tallied 10 points, Abrams added 3, Clampitt 2 and McClure 1.
Defensively, Hayesville had 10 steals. Abrams was top thief with three. Krieger had .
Hayesville 55, Blue Ridge Early College 19
Shook was missed but wasn’t needed as Hayesville throttled Blue Ridge Early College on Wednesday.
“We had to regroup and go to Blue Ridge where we did some things better,” McClure said.
Abrams quickly embraced her new role as floor general with 8 points in the first quarter, which Hayesville owned 18-11. Lil’ Dynamite finished with a team-best 14 points on 6-of-11 firing from the floor to go with five steals, three rebounds, three assists and zero turnovers.
Abrams wasn’t the only leader. Krieger was the top thief with six picks. Special K also speared five offensive boards and one on the hosts’ end. McClure, the slight freshman, collected a team-best seven rebounds in addition to two assists and two steals.
Seven Lady Jackets scored as the guests turned up the heat and rolled to a 37-15 halftime lead.
Hayesville put the game away by outscoring Blue Ridge, 11-0, in the third act.
The balanced attack included Peck with 9 points (3-of-4 from the line), Ashe 8, 5 points each by Clampitt (2-of-2 free throwing) and McClure and 4 points apiece from Brooks, Moore (2-of-3 field goal shooting) and Morrow. Krieger and Brown each scored 1 point.
Peck, Brooks and Moore each had four rebounds. Brown and Morrow had three caroms apiece. Graves and Clampitt each earned two boards.