Lady Jackets suffer first loss

Following her team’s win over Martins Creek, Hayesville Middle School Lady Yellow Jacket head coach Tammy Dills said “Now we get into the meat of our schedule.” The Lady Yellow Jackets started that portion of the schedule Monday, Nov. 25 on the road against Robbinsville. A slow first half put Hayesville in a hole they just couldn’t climb out of before the final horn. The 46-36 loss was the first of the season for the Lady Jackets.

Neither team put up record breaking numbers in the first quarter. Even though the Lady Knights only managed 9 points, it was enough to give them a 4-point lead thanks to Hayesville’s score of 5.

Unfortunately for the Lady Jackets, the offense that had been anemic for Robbinsville in the first quarter exploded in the second. In a quarter Dills described as “terrible,” the Lady Knights flexed their muscles for 21 points. Hayesville’s struggles on defense parlayed into a poor performance on the offensive side of the court as the Lady Jackets could only answer with 8 points which put them in a 30-13 deficit at halftime.

Hayesville staged a comeback in the second half. The Lady Jackets won the third quarter, outscoring Robbinsville 12-11. While it was a momentum win, gaining 1 point was far from the rally Hayesville needed and the teams entered the final quarter with Robbinsville leading 41-25.

The Lady Jackets continued to fight in the fourth, taking advantage of gaps in Robbinsville’s defense and playing a swarming-style defense to limit the Lady Knights. By quarter’s end, Hayesville had brought their total up to 36 but Robbinsville’s 5 in the quarter was enough to hand the Lady Jackets the 46-36 loss.

Hayesville will try to recover after the Thanksgiving break as they welcome Cherokee at 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2.

Stat Leaders:

Jayden Moore: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals.

Kenna Leatherwood: 6 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals.

Ava Shook: 6 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists.

Madison Martin: 6 points, 5 rebounds.