By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
A roster depleted Lady Bear basketball team played above their heads early, but couldn’t keep up with a surging Lady Red Devil team on Tuesday. The end result was first-place Jacksonville beating last-place Sylvan Hills 77-44 in Sherwood.
The missing Sylvan Hills players, which on Tuesday included three full-time starters, brought the roster down to six varsity players, forcing Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis to bring up two freshmen to add some depth, which is especially important against a team that likes to push the tempo as Jacksonville does.
Sylvan Hills sophomore Sarah Beckwith drained two three pointers in the first minute of the game to give the Lady Bears a brief lead. Jacksonville’s Tiffany Smith answered in kind and the game stayed close for a little more than half the high-scoring first quarter.
Jacksonville led 15-13 with about three minutes remaining in the period when they began a 13-0 run that put the first separation between the two teams.
Smith added two more three pointers to finish the quarter with 12 points. Post player Markela Bryles also became difficult for the size-depleted Lady Bears, whose two tallest players on an already-undersized roster were among those out for the game, to stop. She finished the first quarter with 10 points.
But sophomore guard Ashton Neasley closed the gap some when she hit a 35-footer at the buzzer to make it 28-16.
Beckwith then opened the second quarter with another three pointer. Lady Bear Maddison Shelton then forced Jacksonville’s first turnover of the game. On the next possession, she added a free throw to make it 28-20 with six minutes left in the half.
Jacksonville then switched to full-court pressure and things came unraveled for the Lady Bears. The Lady Red Devils didn’t score in the period until the 5:37 mark, but finished the half on a 25-3 run.
Jacksonville senior Keke Alcorn drained two threes while fellow senior Sacha Richardson added another. Bryles dropped in six more points while Antrice McCoy and Jerrica Hardaway scored two apiece. Shelton scored Sylvan Hills’ only basket after Beckwith’s opening three and the Lady Red Devils led 53-23 at intermission.
But the fight wasn’t gone from Sylvan Hills. The Lady Bears scrapped hard and won the third quarter 16-15, staving off the mercy rule for a few more minutes.
Jacksonville coach William Rountree pulled all his starters and primary subs in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville sophomore Asia Williams hit two free throws with 5:05 remaining to make it 72-41 and invoke the continuous clock.
“The third quarter was too sloppy, but I thought overall we played a pretty good game,” said Rountree. “We were productive inside and outside. We scored off of pressure and in our sets, and all my young players got to play, and I thought did pretty well. We won the fourth quarter with no starters out there, so I’m pleased with how they played.”
Jacksonville (9-8, 6-1) won the rebounding battle 31-21, and because of a 31-10 differential in turnovers, took 29 more shots than did Sylvan Hills. The Lady Devils made 24 of 69 shot attempts, including 8 of 19 from three-point range, while Sylvan Hills went 14 of 40 – 7 of 14 from three-point range.
Jacksonville made 21 of 32 free throws while Sylvan Hills went 9 of 17.
Smith led all scorers with 20 points while Bryles added 16 and Alcorn 14 for Jacksonville. Eleven Lady Red Devils recorded points.
Shelton led the Lady Bears with 14 points. Beckwith added nine, as did freshman Storm Ellis.
