Tharptown girls rout Cherokee
By Staff
Mike Self, FCT Sports Editor
THARPTOWN – Hollie Hines scored 17 of her game-high 24 points in the first half on Tuesday as Tharptown built a big early lead and then cruised to a 54-33 rout of visiting Cherokee.
Jessica Myrick added 16 points for the Lady Wildcats, who improved to 2-1.
"When Hollie and Jess are both scoring like that, it just makes us that much better," Tharptown coach Chad Green said. "Once we get everybody hitting on all cylinders, we'll be pretty tough. It may take eight or 10 games, but we'll get there."
Green said he was pleased with the improvement on defense by the Lady Wildcats, who held Cherokee to less than 10 points in three of the four quarters.
"We played better on defense tonight," he said. "We still have a long way to go on offense, though."
Hines had nine points in the opening quarter, and her three-pointer with less than a minute remaining extended Tharptown's lead to 15-6 after one.
The sophomore guard added eight points in the second quarter, giving the Lady Wildcats their largest lead of the half at 27-10 on a layup off a steal with 4:15 left.
Hines then scored the first five points of the second half, and she found Myrick for an open jumper on a pick-and-roll play to make it 34-16 midway through the third quarter.
The Lady Wildcats used the pick-and-roll on several occasions to get open looks against Cherokee's helter-skelter defense.
"That play works effectively for us, if we'll just run it," Green said.
Tharptown led 40-25 at the end of three quarters and then out-scored Cherokee 14-8 in the fourth.
Laken Barnett, Autumn Hatton and Heather Hatton each finished with four points. Lauren Scott added two.
Krystal Elliott led Cherokee with 11 points.
Tharptown will be back in action tonight at home against Vina.
Varsity boys
Cherokee 83 Tharptown 35
The Indians scored the game's first 17 points and never looked back to pick up the win on Tuesday.
Junior Long had 16 points to lead Cherokee, which led 28-10 after one quarter and 51-18 at the half.
Josh Day and Dominique Croom each added 13 points for the Indians.
Trevor Hallmark led Tharptown (0-3) with eight points, including a pair of three-pointers.
Manny Ricardo added seven points, and Tyler Cagle and Mackinley Flannagin each had six.
The Wildcats will host Vina tonight.
