Post Photo by Chris Siers Demiyah Blackman scores off the block in the fourth quarter. She finished with eight points.
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
LEWISBURG — What started as a slow grind on the offensive end of the court for Marshall County turned into a full-fledged 3-point assault against Franklin County on Senior Night.
The Tigerettes overcame an early deficit, relied on timely baskets by Maggie Steely and crushed the Rebelettes, 55-32.
With open looks struggling to fall for Marshall County, notably early in the first quarter, the Tigerettes played the high-percentage ball through Jachelle Ridley off the low post.
Ridley accounted for six of the Tigerettes’ eight points in the first quarter, while Franklin County also struggled from the floor, but was able to effectively work its way to the free throw line, where the Rebelettes made good on 5-of-6 attempts in the period.
By the end of the quarter, Franklin County led 13-8.
A 3-point jumper by Mashawna Ridley later tied the game at 13, but the Rebelettes answered and pushed the lead back out to five points with just over three minutes to go.
Again, Marshall County rallied to tie the game at 18 with 2:18 left, but again, Franklin County answered with a 3-pointer to go up 21-18 with 1:49 left in the half.
But on the following Tigerette possession, Jachelle Ridley brought the Tigerettes within a point with another basket and later gave Marshall County the 22-21 lead at the half following a second-straight basket by Ridley.
While the second quarter was a battle that saw the game tied on multiple occasions, the second half belonged entirely to the Tigerettes.
Jachelle Ridley continued to dominate the low post, but the outside shots began to fall as Marshall County went on a 15-4 run through the period.
The Tigerettes opened the second half with a 3-pointer by Mashawna Ridley and Marshall County scored 10 points before Franklin County scored its first basket of the quarter with 1:32 left in the period.
Steely added a pair of timely 3-pointers in the third and continued the theme into the fourth, knocking down two more to finish the game with five treys.
Demiyah Blackman, while scoreless through the first three quarters, went on a tear in the fourth and scored eight points, including back-to-back baskets to open the fourth.
In the fourth, the Tigerettes out-scored Franklin County 18-7 for the 23-point blowout win.
Jachelle Ridley led all scorers with 18 points, while Steely added 17.
Franklin Co. 13 8 4 7 — 32
Marshall Co. 8 14 15 18 — 55
Franklin Co.: Gracen Bagett 11, Nakaysaa Holman 11, Hannah Campbell 7, Josie Davis 3.
Marshall Co.: Jachelle Ridley 18, Maggie Steely 17, Mashawna Ridley 10, Demiyah Blackman 8, Kerionna Tomison 2.
3-Point goals: Marshall Co. (7): Steely 5, Ridley 2; Franklin Co. (6): Bagett 2, Holman 2, Davis.
Halftime score: Marshall Co. 22, Franklin Co. 21.
