Scott County Central girls basketball team kicks into gear after break

DELTA -- The first half of Monday night's Class 1 District 2 opener between the Scott County Central Braves and McKinley Classical Leadership was chaotic.

The teams combined to commit 42 turnovers and take 69 shots in what was a close game for most of the half.

The Braves used a 6-0 run in the final 30 seconds before halftime to gain a 10-point lead, and a drastically different second half propelled No. 2 seed SCC to a 75-33 victory.

"We struggled throughout the first half," SCC coach Semona Penrod said. "You know I have four freshmen and one sophomore starting. I think they came out scared.

"You say district. It's not like it was a crowd of people here, but they came out looking like a deer in the headlights and we just kind of stood around the whole first half."

SCC led third-seeded McKinley 16-13 after one quarter and led by single digits until Mikaela Blissett's basket with 5.4 seconds to go in the second quarter put the Braves up 10.

SCC outscored the Goldbugs 29-9 in the third quarter and committed just three turnovers in the period after having 19 in the first half.

"In the second half, they came out and worked better together and pushed the ball down the floor and kind of focused more on what we could do," Penrod said.

Blissett outscored McKinley in the game, finishing with 34 points.

SCC will face No. 1 seed Delta in the championship game 6 p.m. Thursday. Delta received a bye in the first round of the three-team district tournament.

Monday night's victory was the fourth for the Braves this season.

Penrod said she hoped her young team will be less nervous against the Bobcats.

"The one thing I told them tonight is this is your one time you can slip up and be scared or whatever you want to call it," she said. "If they come out Thursday and they don't really get after it, they won't be so lucky.

"If there had to be a night, tonight would be the night. McKinley's not near as strong as Delta.

McKinley 13 9 8 3 -- 33

SCC 16 16 29 14 -- 75

McKINLEY CLASSICAL LEADERSHIP (33) -- Kaiyla Goodlett 2, Jasmine Berry 3, Mykal Dean 13, Kianna Hurd 7, Zora Shields 4. FG 12, FT 6-12, F 10. (3-pointers: Hurd 1. Fouled out: none)

SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL (75) -- Mikaela Blissett 34, Jahniqua Fort 8, Derien Fort 15, Kyla Guzman 2, Abby Ross 6, Dazique Gillespie 10. FG 36, FT 4-6, F 14. (3-pointers: D. Fort 1. Fouled out: D. Fort)