SYLVANIA – In a night set aside to honor Screven County’s seniors, neither team disappointed. The Lady Gamecocks (21-4, 11-3) demolished the visiting Lady Yellow Jackets of Southeast Bulloch (8-14, 7-7) 72-22, wrapping up a very successful regular season and sending the Lady Gamecocks into the region 3-AA playoffs with an air of confidence.
Capping off a stellar and record shattering career at Screven, senior Kadendra Evans eclipsed the 1,000 rebound mark, becoming the first player in school history to do so. She grabbed eight rebounds on the night, and was also the game’s leading scorer putting up 15 points and adding two blocks.
The SCHS ladies got out of the block early, starting the game on a 19-point run before the Lady Jackets were finally able to score with 2:37 left in the first quarter. Southeast Bulloch could not overcome the Lady Gamecocks’ constant full-court press. The first quarter ended with a 27-7 Screven lead.
The Lady Gamecocks never let up, causing 22 turnovers in the first half and hitting the locker room with a 41-11 lead. The Lady Jackets turned the ball over 37 times on the night and were out-rebounded 31-to-20.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, with SCHS leading 64-21, Evans grabbed her landmark 1,000th rebound and etched her name in the record books forever.
With the game already won, and because the Lady Gamecocks were able to hold their opponent to only one point in the fourth quarter, Screven coach Jennifer Acree began pulling her seniors out one by one. With each senior that sat on the bench, the applause from the crowd grew louder, capping off an emotional night for seniors Evans, Ashley Loundy, Kiki Warren and Shaneka Lee.
“We cried a lot pre-game, and we’re going to cry a lot tonight,” said Acree, after each of her seniors were honored in a ceremony between the men’s and women’s games. “It is well deserved. That’s just part of being a coach. If (my next group of seniors) ends up being half as great as this class, I will be coaching for a long time.”
Although Southeast Bulloch could not get anything going, Lady Yellow Jacket coach Milton Williams is optimistic heading into the playoffs.
“It has been a rough couple of weeks for us,” he said. “There have been some games that I thought we probably could have won, but we ended up losing. It seems like (in the playoffs) we will be playing Swainsboro for the third time. We are 1-1 against them this season. We’ve got an opportunity. If our girls are focused, if they really want to get out there and fight, they will be as good as anyone in that first round.”
Gamecocks 55
Yellow Jackets 40,
On a night when the Screven County seniors were honored, the Gamecocks beat the Yellow Jackets in a defensive game where both teams seemed to have trouble with each others’ defense.
Both teams were running their own variations of the zone, and for a while, neither team could figure the other out. The Gamecocks entered halftime with a 24-16 lead and both teams seemed to be wondering how to get underneath and score.
The difference maker for SCHS was offensive rebounding and second-chance points.
“Southeast Bulloch was really playing our shooters on the perimeter,” said Gamecock coach Arthur Davis. “They were more vulnerable on the boards. We started to attack the boards and get underneath the basket, and it worked out for us tonight.”
Another factor in the win was Matt Taylor, who came off the bench to put up a double-double, knocking down 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Both Screven County and Southeast Bulloch will have precious little time to prepare for the 3-AA playoffs, which begin next week.
Capping off a stellar and record shattering career at Screven, senior Kadendra Evans eclipsed the 1,000 rebound mark, becoming the first player in school history to do so. She grabbed eight rebounds on the night, and was also the game’s leading scorer putting up 15 points and adding two blocks.
The SCHS ladies got out of the block early, starting the game on a 19-point run before the Lady Jackets were finally able to score with 2:37 left in the first quarter. Southeast Bulloch could not overcome the Lady Gamecocks’ constant full-court press. The first quarter ended with a 27-7 Screven lead.
The Lady Gamecocks never let up, causing 22 turnovers in the first half and hitting the locker room with a 41-11 lead. The Lady Jackets turned the ball over 37 times on the night and were out-rebounded 31-to-20.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, with SCHS leading 64-21, Evans grabbed her landmark 1,000th rebound and etched her name in the record books forever.
With the game already won, and because the Lady Gamecocks were able to hold their opponent to only one point in the fourth quarter, Screven coach Jennifer Acree began pulling her seniors out one by one. With each senior that sat on the bench, the applause from the crowd grew louder, capping off an emotional night for seniors Evans, Ashley Loundy, Kiki Warren and Shaneka Lee.
“We cried a lot pre-game, and we’re going to cry a lot tonight,” said Acree, after each of her seniors were honored in a ceremony between the men’s and women’s games. “It is well deserved. That’s just part of being a coach. If (my next group of seniors) ends up being half as great as this class, I will be coaching for a long time.”
Although Southeast Bulloch could not get anything going, Lady Yellow Jacket coach Milton Williams is optimistic heading into the playoffs.
“It has been a rough couple of weeks for us,” he said. “There have been some games that I thought we probably could have won, but we ended up losing. It seems like (in the playoffs) we will be playing Swainsboro for the third time. We are 1-1 against them this season. We’ve got an opportunity. If our girls are focused, if they really want to get out there and fight, they will be as good as anyone in that first round.”
Gamecocks 55
Yellow Jackets 40,
On a night when the Screven County seniors were honored, the Gamecocks beat the Yellow Jackets in a defensive game where both teams seemed to have trouble with each others’ defense.
Both teams were running their own variations of the zone, and for a while, neither team could figure the other out. The Gamecocks entered halftime with a 24-16 lead and both teams seemed to be wondering how to get underneath and score.
The difference maker for SCHS was offensive rebounding and second-chance points.
“Southeast Bulloch was really playing our shooters on the perimeter,” said Gamecock coach Arthur Davis. “They were more vulnerable on the boards. We started to attack the boards and get underneath the basket, and it worked out for us tonight.”
Another factor in the win was Matt Taylor, who came off the bench to put up a double-double, knocking down 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Both Screven County and Southeast Bulloch will have precious little time to prepare for the 3-AA playoffs, which begin next week.
