| Dual LR triumphs ensure new titleists | By: By KENNETH COKER, Messenger Sports Reporter
| Posted: Monday, January 24, 2011 5:07 pm
| 
Black Oak’s Dianna Flippen and Hillcrest’s Hannah Cavness battle to get to the basketball on Saturday. | | | Lake Road made sure that new teams will stand atop the Obion County School System’s basketball pedestal this season.
LR knocked out both of the defending champions — the Black Oak girls and South Fulton boys — during Day 1 action Saturday at the OCSS tourney.
The Red Devils, who will miss the league’s title game for the first time since 2002-03, fell by a 27-26 count to Lake Road in semifinal action.
Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles were knocked out of contention for a repeat by LR as well — losing 34-16 in a play-in contest.
Other action on Saturday had the Ridgemont girls victorious 33-31 over Hillcrest in a semifinal matchup.
In the boys’ play-in contest, the Black Oak boys downed the Cougars 31-27.
Semifinal action continues this evening at South Fulton as the No. 1 seeded host Devilettes battle Lake Road at 6.
The top-seeded R’mont boys take on Black Oak in the evening’s second game with a berth in the title tilt also on the line.
The girls’ championship game is set for Thursday at 6 with the boys’ title to be decided thereafter. Ridgemont awaits tonight’s SF-Lake Road winner on the ladies’ side. Meanwhile, LR will take on the victor of this evening’s semifinal pitting R’mont against Black Oak.
All of the teams that lost on Saturday will return to action in the Area 5 Tournament. A bracket for that event will be released later this week.
The following is a roundup of Saturday’s action at South Fulton.
BOYS
Lake Rd. 27, SF 26
South Fulton (7-9) trailed by as many as nine points in the second half before the host team, which has won the past three OCSS titles, fell just short in the final minute.
The Red Devils even went ahead momentarily — by a 24-23 count — in the last minute after a Skylar Grissom free throw and the momentum swung in SF’s favor after a charge call against Lake Road (9-4).
However, a miss on the front end of a one-and-one gave the Generals a chance to go back ahead. LR did just that as Brett Jackson drove down for the go-ahead bucket with 33 seconds remaining.
Blake Berner finished with 11 points for LR — nine of those coming before intermission. Kyler Page ended the game with six.
South Fulton’s high-point man was Aaron Hollingsworth (seven).
BO 31, Hillcrest 27
Black Oak held off a later Cougar charge thanks in large part to a key 3 by Lane Baker with 1:10 remaining.
The trifecta put the Eagles (2-11) up by six points (29-23) when, just moments later, Hillcrest had cut the lead to a pair.
From that point on, the Cougars (3-11) were only able to cut the deficit to two points with 11 seconds remaining.
Baker totaled a game-high 15 points, while Jonah Pittman had seven for the victorious Eagles.
Hillcrest’s Cain Aaron was a point off Baker’s pace with 14, while Bryce Warner offered seven.
GIRLS
Lake Rd. 34, BO 16
Down 6-1 after a period, the Lady Generals (5-8) outscored Black Oak 33-10 the rest of the way to knock off the reigning OCSS champions.
Hannah Cavness came up big in the lane for Lake Road with 11 points, while Parker Albright added eight tallies during the victory.
Black Oak’s Dianna Flippen compiled a diverse stat sheet that told of seven points, 15 rebounds, two steals and a block. Kelsey Pollock also contributed seven markers for the Lady Eagles (3-10).
The BO girls will return to action in the upcoming Area 5 Tournament.
R’mont 33, Hillcrest 31
Ridgemont (8-9) led when it mattered on Saturday.
The Lady Mustangs were ahead for but a few seconds prior to the final minute of the semifinal contest.
With 37 seconds to go, Nichole Whitson, who less than a minute earlier had tied the game at 30-all with a 3-pointer, busted another clutch trey to put R’mont up for good.
Whitson ended Saturday’s semifinal with 13 points — a tally shy of teammate Stella Preuett’s 14-tally outing.
Hillcrest had Rachel Jones as its top contributor with a game-high 15 points, while post Allye Payton accounted for seven.
Sports reporter Kenneth Coker can be contacted by e-mail at kcoker@ucmessenger.com. | | | | |
