Skip to content

Westview seniors’ efforts not enough to top Liberty

Westview seniors’ efforts not enough to top Liberty

Posted: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 12:02 am
By: Sara Rachels — Special to the Weakley County Pres

Westview seniors’ efforts not enough to top Liberty

Shoot for Two — Westview senior Jacey Sims pitched in 10 points in her team’s season-ending loss Friday night. Photo by Sara Rachels
Breanna Pitcher and Jacey Sims played like seniors on a mission – a mission to utilize their veteran leadership to knock the Liberty Tech Lady Crusaders out of the Region 7-AA Tournament. After one half of play, the Westview Lady Chargers looked poised to accomplish the mission, but in the second half Liberty came back to life behind the play of its guards and closed out a 46-39 victory with free throws Friday night at Liberty High School in Jackson.
In a fast, aggressive first quarter, the score knotted itself four times. At 10-10, Dominique James knocked down a 3-pointer for Liberty, but Pitcher replied with a jumper for two of her six first-quarter points. Despite Pitcher’s effort, Liberty led 13-12 at the end of one.
Sims opened the second by hitting a free throw and followed with a trey to push the Lady Chargers to their largest lead to that point, 16-13. Keiona Kirby sprinted back and converted a jumper to cut the lead to one and Dahona Leasure split a pair of free throws to tie the contest again. Kirby hit two from the line, but Pitcher responded with a layup and the score remained even at 18. Westview entered the bonus with 3:45 left in and Pitcher challenged Liberty’s center Ann Jones under the basket and completed a 3-point play to put the Lady Chargers ahead 21-18. Leasure answered with a jumpshot, but Pitcher threw in a shot before the buzzer and Westview entered the break leading 23-20. Pitcher had 13 of the 23 and Jones had two points and two fouls for the Lady Crusaders.
Rhaven Kemp quickly tied the score again with a 3-pointer. Sims made a layup and Pitcher added an open three to give Westview its largest lead, 28-23, with 6:15 left in the third. The lead stayed stuck on five through the four-minute mark until James and Kirby led the Liberty comeback. A three from James tied the score at 30 and after Taylor Swaim scored on the WHS end of the court, James recorded a putback to end the third with a tie at 32.
Liberty took the lead with two free throws to start the fourth and though Westview stayed up with the home squad, coming within a point on a few occasions, the Lady Crusaders entered the bonus and increased the lead with bonus free throws. Shots Westview had been hitting with ease in the first half refused to fall in the last few seconds and the Lady Crusaders moved on to the Region 7-AA semifinals with a 46-39 win.
Pitcher’s 21 led all scorers, while Sims added 10 in their final game as Lady Chargers. James and Kirby scored 13 each for Liberty.

Region 7-AA Tournament
Quarterfinal
Feb. 25 at Jackson
GIRLS
Westview (39) — Breanna Pitcher 21, Jacey Sims 10, Taylor Swaim 4, Kaley Leyhue 4.
Liberty (46) — Keiona Kirby 13, Dominique James 13, Dahona Leasure 8, Ann Jones 8, Rhaven Kemp 4.
3-pointers: Westview — Sims, Pitcher; Liberty — James (2), Kemp.
Records: Westview 21-11, Liberty 26-4.

None