Lady Ads RecruitMe win
With 2.9 seconds left and Farragut leading by three, CAK’s inbounds pass went out of bounds. The Lady Warriors then had to foul, putting McNealy at the line.
The win set up a semifinal game starting around 6:30 p.m., Friday night, Nov. 25, against the Cleveland versus Science Hill winner (played after deadline Tuesday, Nov. 21).
“It wasn’t pretty,” FHS head coach Jason Mayfield said. “They did a good job switching defenses, took us out of what we wanted to do, especially in the third quarter. We’re young and a little inexperienced to recognize those things.”
“We got down early and had to rally,” Lady Warriors head coach Abby Williams said. “We’re trying to figure out how to win down the stretch. We gotta learn how to execute. I’m proud of the way they fought.”
The fourth quarter went back and forth, and it was either team’s game until the end. CAK led 42-40 on sophomore guard Karlie Whited’s three-point play with 2:09 left.
But FHS’s junior guard Annie Priest sank a three with 1:48 on the clock to make it 43-42, and the Lady Admirals wouldn’t trail again. With 37 seconds left and the score still 43-42, McNealy stole the ball, forcing CAK to foul.
Down the stretch, Farragut (3-1) hit seven of eight free throws to put the game away.
It appeared early in the first quarter the Lady Admirals might run away with the game. Up 14-4, Farragut led by only three after one frame.
The teams traded baskets in the second, and FHS led 25-22 at half.
Tied at 25 with 5:47 left in the third, McNealy hit a three and a jumper to give Farragut a 30-25 advantage. But CAK answered with seven straight to take its first lead, 32-30. It was tied at 34 after three quarters.
McNealy was a force at both ends of the court, scoring a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jaci Neubert got 12 points and Priest added eight.
CAK (0-3) had three girls with 12 points: Maddie Braden, Karlie Whited and Colie Thompson.
