PHOENIX TOPPLE NORTH MURRAY FOR REGION WIN
The Sonoraville High School basketball team could not have picked a better time to win its first AAA Region 6 game.
Using big second and fourth quarters offensively, the suddenly red-hot Phoenix defeated North Murray, 65-54, at The Furnace Tuesday night for it third win in their last four games after they took two-out-of-three last week at the Pickens County Christmas tournament.
Most importantly, though, the win snapped their five-game losing streak to begin league play and kept them within two games of that fourth and final playoff spot in Region 6, which after Tuesday night’s four games, was held by Murray County.
And the Phoenix were in Chatsworth Friday night to face the Indians with a chance to close the gap on them. North Murray was alone in fourth place with a 3-3 record in the Region. (Details of that game were not available at press time).
Sonoraville did get the three-point shots falling in the win over NM, knocking down 13 shots from long distance, although at times in the first and third quarters, both teams went stretches where the ball wouldn’t cooperate.
Both Sonoraville and North Murray, each playing their first game in the New Year, got off to a sluggish shot offensively, with quite a few turnovers and missed shots early-on as the visitors slogged their way to an 8-5 lead after one period.
Sophomore guard Jaxon Pate, who finished the night with 14 points that included four 3’s, hit a three and freshman guard Elijah Woods added another bucket to account for the home team’s points.
North Murray had a trio of players score in the first quarter as they made three baskets and a pair of foul shots for the three-point lead.
In the second quarter, the Phoenix came alive offensively, topping the Mountaineers, 22-8, in the quarter to hold serve, 27-16, at the halftime.
Five different players would score in the period for the Phoenix and they made four shots from beyond the arch.
Pate led the team with eight points in the quarter, including a pair of treys, and senior guard Dustin Fortenberry made two of his three three’s as well. Senior guard Zane Stewart added four points and freshman forward Carter Triplett had three more as the Phoenix took control.
The Indians fought back to outscore the Phoenix, 14-9, in the third and cut the gap to 36-30 after three periods.
The hosts’ nine points came on a trio of three’s with Woods, who would finish the game with 10 points, making two of them and Stewart hitting the other one.
The fourth quarter saw the Phoenix score 29 points for the most points they have put up in any single quarter this year.
Junior guard Ethan Hibberts, who led his team with 15 points, had 14 of them in the final minutes to help his team hold off the visitors before fouling out. He drained a trio of three-pointers as well as making a pair of shots and a
PHOENIX,
for the home team in the third period while North Murray looked like they would take over.
The Mountaineers notched 13 points in the quarter while a West basket was the only two points the Phoenix could muster as the visitors took a six-point lead, 36-30, into the fourth period.
But Kelley had seven points in the final eight minutes and Walraven added four more and the Phoenix put the defensive clamps on North Murray, causing them to go over five minutes without a basket.
Six of Sonoraville’s points came at the free throw line, as they shot 13 free throws down the stretch to aid their comeback.
Lily Rader and Ava Robinette paced the Lady Indians with 11 points each with Rader scoring all of her points in the first three quarters while Robinette had one of her team’s two baskets in the fourth.
After Tuesday night’s action, the Phoenix were right in the mix for that fourth and final playoff spot, but they closed the first half of the Region schedule against two of the teams above them in the standings, meaning they have a chance to move up in the standings heading into the start of the second half of district.
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe is the Region front-runner, sitting undefeated in the league at 6-0 and undefeated on the season with a stellar 14-0 record, putting them among the top AAA girls teams in the state.
After that, Murray County and Ringgold, which are the teams the Phoenix play to closer out the first part of the Region schedule, were right behind LFO with Murray
County sitting at 5-1 while Ringgold was 5-2 and had a bye Friday night.
Besides holding down second and third place in the Region, Murray County and Ringgold have both played very well to this point in the season with both teams owning 11-3 marks overall.
Then Sonoraville and Adairsville, which has beaten the Phoenix twice this year by a combined five points, are tied for fourth place with 3-3 records.
And LaFayette and Rockmart were both just a game behind those two schools with 2-4 marks so if any of those four teams can get red-hot over the next five weeks, they definitely still have a chance to make it to the postseason.
Sonoraville went to Chatsworth Friday night to play Murray County (details of that game were not available at press time) and then head north to near the Tennessee border next Tuesday night to take on Ringgold and end the first half of Region. With victories in those two games, the Phoenix would really shake up things for the league’s present leaders.
Just before the New Year, the Sonoraville girls lost a pair of games at the Carpet Classic Christmas tournament in Dalton.
BASKETBALL Calhoun vs. hiram,
7:30 p.m., the hive
Sonoraville at ringgold, 7:30 p.m., ringgold high School
Gordon Central vs. dade County, 7:30 p.m., Gordon Central high
Calhoun girls vs. hiram, 6 p.m., the hive
Sonoraville girls at ringgold, 6 p.m., ringgold high School
Gordon Central girls vs. dade County, 7:30 p.m., Gordon Central high SWIMMING & DIVING Calhoun middle School boys and girls at dalton, 5 p.m., dalton middle School
WRESTLING Sonoraville junior varsity at JV Scramble, 5 p.m., the Furnace
Calhoun middle School at region duals, red top middle School, 4 p.m.
ashworth middle School vs. northwest Whitfield middle and Bagley middle, 4:30 p.m., northwest Whitfield middle
BASKETBALL red Bud middle vs. Woodland, Jayvees at
4:30 p.m. and Varsity at
5:30 p.m., red Bud middle
red Bud middle School girls at Woodland, 5:30 p.m., Woodland middle School