Late rally not enough, as FHS girls start slow in Sectional vs. KDB
It doesn’t take being a basketball coach to know the game’s first axiom: you have to hit shots.
Saturday night, March 2, at home in Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium in the 4A Sectional round of the TSSAA Division I-4A State Basketball Tournament, Farragut High School’s girls’ team fell short of that requirement.
The 54-47 loss to Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett not only kept the Lady Admirals, Region 2-4A champs, from making the state tournament, but brought their season to an end. They finished 21-13.
Of 20 three-point attempts, Farragut shooters made only three. They also missed numerous shots around the rim, especially in the first half.
The Lady Indians, runner-up in Region 1-4A, connected from long-range five times in the first half alone, and six for the game.
“Five, nine, six,” said FHS head coach Jason Mayfield of his squad’s points in each of the first three quarters. “When it’s not going in like that, you don’t have a lot of words.”
After junior guard Annie Priest hit a three for the game’s first score, the Lady Indians went on a 19-2 run, and led 19-5 with 5:52 left in the half.
Seven straight by Farragut cut it to 19-12 with 3:39 to go before the break, but KDB finished the half on a 7-2 run to lead 26-14 at halftime.
Limited scoring both ways in the third quarter left the Lady Indians leading 33-20 after three. When Dobyns-Bennett built the lead to 17, 40-23, with 5:29 left, the game appeared long over.
But the Lady Admirals weren’t going out without a fight.
A 13-2 FHS run — nine by sophomore forward KJ McNealy, who scored 22 for the game — cut KDB’s lead to six, 42-36, with 2:21 left. The stretch was aided by a fierce press that forced turnovers, which included a 10-second backcourt violation.
From there, the Lady Indians played keep-away and forced Farragut to foul. They hit enough free throws to hold on.
“Our girls fought, and I’m proud of them,” Mayfield said.
“I’m really proud of my team, the way we fought,” Priest said. ”It shows the heart this team has.”
Mayfield spoke highly of his three seniors: Mya Johnston, Hannah Enderson and Carly Vining. “They don’t get a lot of spotlight, but they come to work every day,” Mayfield said. “Can’t say enough about what awesome kids they are.”
“I’m really proud of the season we had,” Johnston said. “We accomplished so many things and made so many memories.”
