It was business as usual Tuesday for the Lady Cougar basketball program. The JV squad earned a measure of payback from an earlier loss taking down the Spartans convincingly, 52-36. The varsity squad also made quick work of the Spartans, finishing with a 61-26 victory.
“This thing’s coming to a head pretty quick,” Lady Cougar Head Coach Scott Ratcliff said. “This was it for the regular season. I’m proud of our JV girls for finishing 18-2. They had a pretty good shot at going 20-0, but you can’t come into a game half ready. They learned from their mistakes and will be better ball players because of it. We’re proud of them.”
“Our varsity girls finished 19-3,” Coach Ratcliff continued. “Our losses were to two good teams. Carroll County is 21-1 and their only loss was to Hebron Christian Academy out of Georgia in a tournament. Hebron is 24-0. Our other loss was to Briar Woods and they’re an 18-2 Class 5 team out of the Potomac District. The bottom line is that we are going to get every team’s absolute best shot from this point forward. If we don’t come out with a little fire in our belly and a chip on our shoulders this thing could end quickly.”
Against the Spartans, the Lady Cougars started out sharp until a notification came from the scorer’s table. Before the game, the Cougar coaching staff gave the table the roster with jersey numbers for the players on the team. The Salem book keeper somehow inadvertently put the wrong jersey number for Lady Cougar junior Kenzlee Jones in the book.
When the error was noticed, Pulaski County was hit with a technical foul, despite the fact that the error was not their fault but the fault of the Salem book keeper. The technical foul was not well-received by the Lady Cougar coaching staff or the Salem AD, but the officials stood by their decision to give Salem two free-throws with less than five seconds remaining in the first quarter. After the shots, the Lady Cougars remained ahead 15-9 heading into the second.
“I was glad to see us show a little bit of emotion after that,” Coach Ratcliff said. “You can get fired up. That’s ok. You just have to do it the right way. I think our girls responded pretty well to it.”
That response was immediate and devastating to any hopes for the Salem faithful. Pulaski County added 22 points to their total while also holding Salem scoreless in the second quarter. The two teams headed to the halftime break with the Lady Cougars up 37-9.
The Lady Cougars outscored Salem 16-7 in the third quarter to bring on a running clock in the fourth. Salem managed 10 points in the fourth, but the Lady Cougars finished the game with the 61-26 victory.
Keslyn Secrist lit up the scoreboard for 19 points. Hannah Keefer played a tough game under the basket to earn 12 points. Paige Huff hit three huge three-pointers and finished the game with 11 points. Tori Vest was good for nine points. Morgan Vest and Andi Ratcliff added four points each. Kenzlee Jones finished with two points.
The JV contest was closer, but the Lady Cougars were able to avenge the 31-40 loss they suffered to Salem back on January 13 with a 52-36 drubbing of the Spartans. Pulaski County led 10-5 after the first quarter and 28-14 at halftime. The third quarter was 14-6 in favor of the Lady Cougars as the coasted in for the win.
Sophia Hanson finished the game with 12 points and Taylor Goble ended with 11. Palyn Sweet and Sarah Ritter added seven points each. Morgan Price added six points. Emma Ritter was good for four points. Victoria Hale and Caroline Bishop added two points each. Ellie MacDonald scored one point in the win.
“It’s time to put up or shut up,” Ratcliff said. “Every team that we go up against knows you either win or go home. We better show up ready to go and keep the pressure on the entire game. Everybody is 0-0 now. The regular season don’t matter other than it got us ready for this moment. I expect to see our seniors step up and lead us. I expect our starters to give it everything they’ve got. I expect our bench to be loud and excited. We hope the fans can get out and give us a boost. There ain’t nothing like winning in the Cougar Den in front of a big home crowd!”
The Lady Cougars will host the Salem Spartans in the opening round of the River Ridge District tournament Friday, February 10, with a 6 p.m. start time. Tickets for the event will be $7 at the door or $6 if purchased through Ticket Spicket or by credit/debit card with an .80 convenience fee. Doors and concession stands will open at 5:15 p.m. Winter Sports Passes are NOT VALID for tournament games.