Lady Dragons get key district win at Anderson County
Clinton’s Josie Moody tries to get a shot off while being defended by Anderson County’s Bethany Lowe. (photo:Dwane Wilder )
The Lady Dragons, one of the area’s most-experienced teams, faced a rigorous early schedule and struggled out of the gate.
As the season progressed, Clinton began to string together wins, although success didn’t come easily.
Then, the Lady Dragons suffered a major setback when junior Lanee Carmichael, the reigning District 4-AAA Player of the Year, sustained a season-ending injury. Carmichael was averaging 22 points per game when her junior campaign was cut short.
“We had to change the way we play,” Clinton Coach Alicia Daugherty said. “When we lost Lanee, the district player of the year, we lost 22 points per game. As coaches, we had to brainstorm and find different ways to fill those 22 points.”
Despite the loss, the Lady Dragons have found a way to compete.
On Friday, Clinton secured a 47-30 district road win over Anderson County, marking its fourth-straight victory and a regular-season sweep of the Lady Mavericks.
“We’ve played really good defense,” Daugherty said. “We’ve worked on some different things and we’ve worked hard. We’re starting to peak right now, and that’s when you want to peak — going into the district tournament.”
Addi Gamble has stepped up in Carmichael’s absence. She scored a game-high 17 points at Anderson County Friday night.
Junior Josie Moody added 16 points, while Allie York finished with eight for the Lady Dragons, who used their defense to close out district play.
“We played really good defense, and they missed a lot of shots,” Daugherty said. “We didn’t make a lot of shots either, but we wanted to create chaos defensively, and we were able to do that.”
Lady Mavericks Coach Mitch Cupples acknowledged Clinton’s strong defensive effort.
“They were tough and physical, and we just weren’t ready for it,” Cupples said. “They really did a great job, and you have to give them credit.”
Macy Basford led Anderson County with 10 points, while Addison Grooms and Bethany Lowe each added seven.
The loss capped a tough week for the Lady Mavericks, who struggled offensively in a 46-18 road defeat at Powell on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Anderson County did notch a win earlier in the week, edging Oneida 37-35 at home on Monday, Feb. 3.
Lowe and Basford each scored 13 points in that game.
Clinton, meanwhile, continued its strong district play with a 45-33 home win over Gibbs on Tuesday, Feb. 4, completing a season sweep of the Lady Eagles.
