Lady Senators win again
The Norris Lady Senators came out victorious over the Lake City Lady Lakers Thursday night, 50-8, to go 2-0 on the season.
The visiting Lake City Lady Lakers opened up a 5-3 lead in the first quarter prior to the Lady Senators going on a 40-0 run out-scoring the Lady Lakers 16-0 in the second quarter, and 24-2 in the third quarter after which, midway through the third quarter, the Lady Senators emptied the bench and played with a running clock for the rest of the game.
Eighth grade wings Leah Freeman and Emily Varner led a balanced scoring attack with 18 and 17 points respectively. Eighth grader Jayce Braden was limited with early foul trouble, but had an eight-point third quarter, which also saw her collect five rebounds during that span.
The Lady Senators were led in rebounds by eighth grader Erin Cantrell with 11, to go along with a hard-nosed defensive effort in which Cantrell helped create several turnovers including four on time.
Eighth grade point guard, Kylee Alvis, continued her fantastic guard play with double digit assists, which impressed the coaching staff.
Amanda Mayes, Lady Senators Asst. Coach, was pleased with the pace of the game.
“When Kylee Alvis puts it into high gear it opens up the entire floor offensively. Erin [Cantrell] and our defense, during the 40-0 run, triggered a lot of turnovers and we immediately out-letted the ball, and once we get the ball into Kylee’s hands, it is off to the races.”
The Lady Senator’s Coaching Staff was also impressed with the effort that they received from the bench. According to asst. coach Jayme Smith, bench play was a key part of the success. “We look at Allie Ammons, as a sixth starter. We got into early foul trouble in the first quarter, which limited the play of two of our starters. Allie came in and continued to be a physical presence on the glass with six rebounds, and four points on 2-2 shooting. Additionally, we got great minutes from Ally Richards, Lydia Meldrum, Anna Kay Smith, and Krya Danewood.”
Coach Dail Cantrell was especially pleased with the defensive effort.
“We had a relatively easy time against Clinton last week, but we were not at all pleased with our defensive intensity. We spent all week working on our press and our traps, and I think that hard work paid off. The defense got our offense going. Erin, Leah, Kylee, and Varner were all creating turnovers up top. Also, we have had over 90 rebounds in two games and out rebounded our opponents 3-1. I love these hustle points. Offensively, 24 points in a six-minute quarter is a big number for middle school, but I always tell the team that we can go on offensive runs if we play tough defense anytime we need to.”
The Lady Senators are back in action on Nov. 16 when they visit Sevierville.
