Lady Wildcats defense overwhelms Fulton in lopsided win
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Oak Ridge’s Euleesha Mitchell had nine points and one steal against the Lady Falcons on Saturday night. - Tony Cox
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Ayana Porter led the Lady Wildcats’ offense with 19 points. Porter was recently named District 3-4A Player of the Year. - Tony Cox
For most of the first quarter in its victory over Fulton, the Oak Ridge High School girls basketball team struggled with its shooting.
The Lady Wildcats even trailed at the end of the opening frame. But that didn’t last long.
Once Oak Ridge started knocking down shots, Coach Paige Taylor was able to implement her press defense.
From there, the Lady Wildcats took control and cruised to a 60-17 win over the Lady Falcons on Saturday night at Jody Wright Arena in North Knoxville.
“Once we started making our shots, we were able to press,” said Taylor, who was recently named District 3-4A Coach of the Year after leading Oak Ridge (23-3) to a perfect 10-0 record in regular-season league play. “When we weren’t making shots, we couldn’t press.
“Once we were able to press, we played good defense.”
That might have been an understatement.
Oak Ridge’s relentless pressure smothered the Lady Falcons, who managed just nine points after the first quarter. The Lady Wildcats allowed only four points in both the second and third quarters.
With the press in place, Oak Ridge forced multiple Fulton turnovers and converted them into transition baskets.
The Lady Wildcats put the game away in the second quarter with a 25-1 run, building a 30-9 halftime lead. They extended their advantage to 48-12 by the end of the third.
Ayana Porter, recently named District 3-4A Player of the Year, led a balanced Oak Ridge offense with 19 points. Ze’Yanah Stewart added 11, while Evelyn Eubanks and Evalya Mitchell each had six.
The Lady Wildcats wrapped up a two-game road stretch with Saturday’s win, after a 55-43 victory at Cleveland on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Stewart led Oak Ridge with 20 points and three rebounds. Porter had 10 points, two boards, and two steals. Euleesha Mitchell added nine points and one steal.
Oak Ridge played its regular-season home finale Monday night against Sevier County at Wildcat Arena, celebrating Senior Night. Results were not available at press time.
The Lady Wildcats return to action Thursday in the District 3-4A Tournament semifinals at Karns High School. As the tournament’s top seed, they have already secured a spot in the Region 2-4A Tournament.
ORHS will open district tournament play at 6 p.m. against the winner of the Powell-Halls quarterfinal matchup.
