Lady Dragons put Lady Lions on ice

CARLISLE — Junction City girls Coach Henry Harrell said junior guard Bryanna Raye is deceptively fast.

“Nobody probably thinks, by looking at the film, how quick she is,” Harrell said. “She’s real quick.”

The England Lady Lions can attest.

Raye disrupted England’s offense with steal after steal, and converted layup after layup, in Junction City’s 6422 victory over England at the Class 2A girls basketball state tournament Tuesday night at Carlisle High School.

Raye scored 19 of her game-high 26 points in the first half as Junction City built a 39-8 halftime lead, and the Lady Dragons (19-4) led every step of the way.

Raye keyed a Junction City defensive effort that was intent on forcing England’s three-point shooters off their favorite spots.

“We knew they like to shoot a lot of threes,” Harrell said. “We wanted to push them out there farther than they normally shoot.”

Harrell said he was not expecting the onslaught that ensued.

Junction City led 17-4 after one quarter, and was up 39-6 before England (24-11) scored a basket at the firsthalf buzzer.

“I had no idea we’d be able to do what we did tonight,” Harrell said.

That the Lady Dragons did it with eight girls on the roster, as they have all season, is a rallying cry.

“Why not us?” Harrell said. “That’s what I’ve been telling them, and they’ve bought into it.”

Keyanna Ross (14 points), Jada Archie (12 points) and Taykeetria Rogers (8 points) helped Raye.

“Eight is enough,” Harrell said. “But we only need 5.”

England, which had more first-half turnovers (13) than first-half points, was led by Tatayana Penister, who scored 11 of her team-high 12 points in the second half.

MARMADUKE 72, DANVILLE 66, OT

Freshman Heidi Robinson scored 11 of her game-high 30 points in overtime, and the Lady Greyhounds (2513) pulled away to defeat the Lady Little Johns (29-4).

Robinson and junior Reesa Hampton (29 points) combined for all but 13 of their team’s points against a Danville team playing without leading scorer Maddie Stanley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago.

Stanley’s cousin, freshman Lydia Stanley, scored 21 points to lead Danville, which tied the game at 59-59 on a rebound basket by Jalene Tolbert with 4.2 seconds left in regulation.

Tolbert, who scored 12 points, gave Danville the lead with another inside basket at the start of overtime, but Robinson took over from there, making 2 field goals and 7 of 8 free throws.

MELBOURNE 75, HECTOR 24

The Lady Bearkatz (27-4) built a 33-9 lead after one quarter and cruised to a over the Lady Wildcats.

Reagan Rapert scored 20 for Melbourne, and was the only Bearkatz player to score at least 10 points. Kiley Webb, Shelby Morris and Josie Roark had nine points each..

Andrea Sears scored 10 for Hector (12-20).