Lady Blaze tip-off season
Coalfield won the inaugural game for the Clinton City School Lady Blaze on Thursday evening by a score of 32-21.
It was not a bad opener for the new program as they faced a Coalfield junior varsity featuring not several seventh graders but several big seventh graders.
The Lady Yellow Jackets outscored The Lady Blaze in the first quarter 14-2. Clinton’s Lanee Carmichael picked up the first basket in the history of the program at the 5:25 mark of the first quarter.
The Lady Blaze settled down a bit in the second quarter on both ends of the floor as their defense and rebounding picked up.
Allie York converted a traditional three-point play and added another basket in the quarter to help cut the Lady Jackets lead to 20-8 at halftime.
The Lady Blaze lived up to their name in the third quarter as they came out fire outscoring Coalfield 10-5. York and Baily Burroughs each knocked down a 3-pointer to help pull CCS to within striking distance as the Lady Jackets led 25-18 at the end of three quarters.
Carmichael opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointers to close the deficit to 25-21 but that was as close as The Lady Blaze would get.
Coalfield reeled off seven unanswered points down the stretch and shooting cooled for CCS.
“I think we were a little nervous it was the first game and it was on TV, so yes, our nerves got to us a little,” said Terri Kerley, head coach of The Lady Blaze.
“I think they’ll gain great confidence from this and realize they need to step it up a little but sooner. I’m really proud of my girls, they did a great job playing against mostly seventh graders. I was really pleased,” she said.
York led The Lady Blaze with 12 points.
CCS returns to action on Saturday, when they host Cherokee at 2:30 p.m.
CMS 14 6 5 7 32
CCS 2 6 5 7 21
Coalfield — Kandence Jackson (17), Hailey Fritts (4), Trinity Basler (4), Lydia Byrd (2), Emma Walls (2)
CCS — Allie York (12), Lanee Carmichael (6), Bailey Burroughs (3), Syndey Herrell (1), Dallen Harrison (2)