South Pem girls pick up road win over Holcomb

HOLCOMB - The South Pemiscot High School Lady Bulldogs bared their collective teeth Monday and chewed their way to a 42-34 win against a sluggish and wounded Holcomb High School Lady Hornets squad.

Lady Bulldogs Head Coach Robert Farmer, in his eighth year guiding the program, was animated throughout the contest and happy that his team chalked up a W on the road.

"They came through," Coach Farmer said. "Some fatigue caught up with us.

"If they want to win the game, I told them 'It's four quarters strong. Let's go get it,'" he continued. "I don't believe in nothing really but man-to-man coverage. When we play man-to-man it's hard for our opponents to run decent offenses on us."

That was particularly true Monday as the Lady Bulldogs mobbed the Lady Hornets on the hardwood. South Pem limited Holcomb's first-period scores to two buckets and one free throw in its first eight minutes.

Lady Hornet's Head Coach Alexa Stockton, in her sixth year at Holcomb, said her team's 9-7 record entering Monday's outing reflected both the quality of area players and her squad's ability to play with guts while nursing injuries. 

South Pemiscot�s Takaiah Wooden scores a nice jumper Monday against Holcomb�s Landynn Hodges at Holcomb. Photo by Steve Hankins

"Our leading scorer, Kaetlyn Danley, isn't gonna start," Coach Stockton explained. "She hurt herself pretty badly a week or two ago.

"We're gonna try to still play her," she added. "But we're just gonna try to take it easy on her. We're gonna start Ava Gurley, Gabi Harmon, Keyleigh Love-Mullin, Katelynn Sweaney and Landynn Hodges."

And, play Danley, No. 20, Stockton did. 

The senior guard scored 11 points to tie her teammate Ava Gurley as Lady Hornet top guns.

"South Pem is big," Coach Stockton mused. "They're physical.

"They've been playing varsity for a long time," she added. "We've seen this same group for several years now, and I think they're all juniors at this point. They'll be really solid and really good. We just hope to compete tonight."

Holcomb Lady Hornet Kaetlyn Danley loses the ball to South Pem�s Takaiah Wooden (40) Monday at Holcomb.Photo by Steve Hankins

Easier said than done when your team is benched with injuries. The Lady Hornets trailed the Lady Bulldogs 10-1 with 3:35 remaining to play in the first period and 12-5 at the first period buzzer.

The Lady Hornets opened the second period with Gurley's nice jumper, 12-7 with 7:39 left, only to be answered immediately with a beautiful three-point projectile launched by Lady Bulldogs Aylee Farmer, 15-7 South Pem.

The Lady Hornets responded and fed Gurley, who fired a beautiful three-point shot from the top of the key, 15-10 South Pem, 6:11 left to play in the second period.

With the score 19-10, South Pem locked up the Lady Hornets and left little room for successful offense.

But that didn't dissuade Danley, who threaded her way through the Lady Bulldogs defenders and scored an effortless layup, 19-12 South Pem with 4:11 left to play in the second.

The game progressed and seconds later the Lady Bulldogs' passed inside to Aylee Farmer, who executed a textbook layup, 21-12 South Pem. 3:38 left in the second.

Holcomb's Danley took control of the ball and lame ankle or not, led a fast break the length of the court and plunged a thrilling layup, 23-15 South Pem.

Danley drew a foul and with scant seconds left on the first half timer, dropped one of two free throws and the teams retired to their locker rooms 23-16 South Pem.

The teams ran each other ragged in the third period and neither team could really make things happen, 36-22 with 6:38 left to play in the final quarter.

South Pem's Ta'Kylah Wooden and Maleah Duckworth, along with Farmer and Mia Gonzalez played great games and with 3:01 left in the final quarter continued that by stuffing Danley defensively. 

With 2:33 left the two teams traded missteps and South Pem was on top 42-30.

Holcomb scored, 42-32 and subsequently blew two more opportunities to score.

With 59 seconds left to play and both teams suffering from a bit of fatigue, Holcomb scored, 42-34 and that was the game, 42-34 South Pem over Holcomb.

South Pem started Aylee Farmer, Mataiya Phillips, Mia Gonzalez, Maleah Duckworth and Ta'Kylah Wooden.

High scorers for South Pem were Wooden and Phillips, who shared 28 points.

Top guns for Holcomb were Danley and Gurley, who dropped 11 points each.