Victory at Maryville in three tries for Lady Ads
Farragut High’s girls basketball team opened a three-game road stretch last week with a District 4-4A win over Maryville Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The Lady Ads then lost to Sevier County Thursday, Jan. 12, and versus Greeneville Saturday, Jan. 14.
FHS 55 MHS 41
A strong second quarter by the Lady Admirals, a 19-7 edge, turned a one-point lead after one frame to a 13-point halftime lead. Despite giving up 16 in the third, FHS was never seriously threatened.
Freshman wing KJ McNealy led Farragut with 13 points. Older sister Maelyn McNealy, a senior wing, added 10.
“The defense played pretty well in the first half, and we were making some shots, too,” Jason Mayfield, Lady Ads head coach, said. “It was a good road district win.”
FHS led 29-16 at half and 42-32 after three. Mayfield was able to substitute in the fourth. “We gave up 16 in the third, but only nine in the fourth,” he said. “We try (to hold teams) to single-digit quarters.”
Sevier Co. 35 FHS 28
Against Sevier County, Mayfield said he got an excellent defensive performance. His girls’ shots, however, just weren’t falling.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well at all,” he said. “Our defensive effort was about as good as it was all year. We gave up 35 points to a team that returned everybody from last year.”
For the game, the Lady Admirals shot 27 percent from the floor, and under 20 percent from three-point range.
“Just one of those nights where we got good looks, but it wasn’t falling,” Mayfield said.
FHS trailed 28-19 after three, and cut it to one with four minutes to go. A decision to trap late in the game left an SCHS player wide open for a successful three-point jumper. Farragut couldn’t catch up after that.
KJ Mcnealy led FHS in scoring with nine.
Greeneville 69 FHS 57
The game was wide open well into the fourth. The difference came in the final few minutes, when Greeneville went to the line 16 times and converted 14.
“We weren’t very good in transition,” Mayfield said about his team’s first-half defense, and Farragut trailed at half, 40-31. “I told our girls at halftime, ‘If you just decide to play defense it’ll change the game.’”
A 16-8 third-quarter advantage by Farragut got them back in it. Greeneville scored just five field goals in the second half.
A crucial moment came midway through the fourth quarter when, down by four, Farragut missed a lay-up. Greeneville then went down and converted a three-point play, and the lead was seven. The free throws followed after that.
“Our girls did everything they could to get back in the game,” Mayfield said. “A young team on the road against a team that’s ranked in the state.”
Annie Priest, sophomore point guard, led FHS with 14 points. Maelyn McNealy added 13. Farragut finished the week 14-7 overall, 2-1 in District 4-4A.
