By Michael Lindsay
Gracie Butler’s 19 Points, 8 Assists Lead Lady Bees In 50-46 Win At Stone Memorial
The Upperman Lady Bees (21-4, 5-1) earned a District 7-3A victory on the road Friday night as they traveled to Crossville and defeated the Stone Memorial Lady Panthers, 50-46.
Friday’s win completes the season sweep of Stone Memorial by Upperman as they defeated the Lady Panthers 71-42 earlier this month.
“I think we started out a little rusty; we had a week off,” said Upperman head coach Dana McWilliams. “I was proud of them that we found a way to win. We didn’t even consider the score of the last game; we knew what kind of team Stone has and coach Mike Buck does a great job.”
Gracie Butler led the Lady Bees with 19 points and 8 assists followed by Sadie South with 9 points on three three-pointers. Ashley Whittenburg led Stone Memorial with 15 points along with 12 from Ella Jane May.
“Gracie scored well for us tonight,” said McWilliams. “Sadie and Taylor (Dolente) came through and hit some important shots.”
Stone Memorial held a 9-8 lead midway through the first quarter before Upperman pushed ahead by the end of the quarter at 15-11. A Whittenburg three-pointer early in the second quarter pulled Stone Memorial back within one point at 15-14, but Upperman held their lead as they entered the locker room ahead 21-17 at halftime.
The Lady Bees took control early in the third quarter as a Butler transition layup gave Upperman a 30-20 lead with 5:43 remaining in the frame.
Stone Memorial didn’t go away, though, as they responded with a 7-0 run to pull back within a possession at 30-27 midway through the third.
A May basket with 1:08 left in the third cut Upperman’s advantage to one point at 34-33. The Lady Bees tacked on a free throw late in the frame to enter the fourth ahead 35-33.
The teams traded three-pointers to open the quarter before back-to-back threes from South and Taylor Dolente gave Upperman a 46-36 lead with 4:30 remaining.
“These kids have been in a lot of big games and we know good teams will make a run on you,” said McWilliams. “It was balanced with different people having to step up and make plays.”
Stone Memorial battled back within 5 points (49-44) via a Whittenburg three-pointer with 1:26 to go, but got no closer until a buzzer-beater pulled them within four points at the end to make the final score 50-46.
Up next for Upperman is a trip to Livingston Academy (14-9, 2-4) on Tuesday while Stone Memorial travels to White County (22-3, 6-0).
Upperman Boys Improve To 6-0 In District 7-3A Via 64-50 Win At Stone Memorial
The Upperman Bees (19-2, 6-0) earned a key District 7-3A victory Friday evening in Crossville as they defeated the Stone Memorial Panthers (17-7, 4-2) by a 64-50 margin in front of a standing-room only crowd.
“What an incredible atmosphere for these guys to play in,” said Upperman head coach Bobby McWilliams. “Not everybody gets to do this. There were a lot of people here and it was a great environment with two teams competing their tails off. Stone’s really well-coached and has great players. It’s a neat atmosphere in the Upper Cumberland.”
Upperman was led by 28 points and 4 assists from sophomore point guard Ty Cobb.
“Ty does what he does,” said McWilliams. “He controls the ball and rebounded hard early in the game. He was patient early and once he started letting the game come to him, it was good for him. Overall, the rest of the kids stepped up and I’m as proud of them as I am anything.”
Colton Johnson tacked on 9 points and 10 rebounds along with 8 points from Jack Torrence. Cade Capps led Stone Memorial with 27 points in the loss.
Neither team held an advantage after one quarter as they entered the second tied at 10-10.
Upperman took a 20-15 lead midway through the quarter before Stone Memorial pulled within 2 points at 24-22 late in the frame. The Bees closed the first half with 7 points in the final minute as Cobb connected on a three-pointer followed by a Bronzden Chaffin transition dunk and a Cobb steal and layup to give the Bees a 31-22 lead at halftime.
“We finally settled in after the first quarter,” said McWilliams. “We had a little nerves and jitters. That run right before the half helped us separate and we got comfortable from there. You have to give them credit; they take you out of a lot of stuff.”
Upperman pushed their lead to double-digits early in the third quarter as a Cobb finish at the rim gave Baxter a 33-22 advantage. The Bees led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before entering the fourth quarter with a 47-35 lead.
An Evan Huddleston and-one to open the fourth quarter pushed Upperman’s lead back to 15 points (50-35). Stone Memorial battled back within 10 points (58-48) via a pair of Capps free throws with 1:14 remaining, but the Panthers got no closer as Upperman closed out from the free-throw line to win by a 64-50 final score.
“We were able to keep them away from the rim and contest shots,” said McWilliams. “Our communication was better tonight than it’s been.”
Friday’s win by Upperman completes the season sweep of Stone Memorial and gives the Bees a 2-game lead in the District 7-3A standings while Stone Memorial is tied in second with Livingston Academy at 4-2 overall in league play. The Panthers have a head-to-head victory over Livingston with their second game to be played on Friday, Feb. 7.
Up next for Stone Memorial is a trip to White County (9-14, 2-4) on Tuesday while Upperman travels to Livingston Academy (14-9, 4-2).