ELLAVILLE – The Schley County girls’ basketball team (8-5, 3-4) struggled from the start against the Marion County Lady Eagles: the #1-ranked team in the state in the GHSA Class A-Public division. MC jumped out to a 20-4 lead by the end of the first quarter and continued to dominate the Lady Wildcats on their way to a 62-33 lopsided victory over SC on Friday, January 4, at Schley County High School.

Carmen Phillips led the Lady Wildcats with 15 points. Amiyah Walker scored eight. Emily Campbell scored seven and Dasani Minter scored three points in the losing cause.

The Lady Eagles had four players in double-figures. Jameshia Williams led all scorers with 16 points and Ansley Whitley scored 15. Ashley Whitley scored 14 points and Taylor Green had 13.

The undefeated Lady Eagles (12-0, 5-0) jumped out to a 7-0 lead, capped off by a basket from Green. Minter scored the first point of the game for the Lady Wildcats by making one of two free throws. Campbell later scored and was fouled while shooting. Campbell made the free throw, converting the three-point play. However, that would be all the scoring the Lady Wildcats could muster in the first quarter. They struggled to score against the zone defense of the Lady Eagles. MC was taller and stronger on the inside, enabling them to outrebound the Lady Wildcats on both ends of the court. By halftime, SC found themselves down 42-11.

Phillips scored seven of the Lady Wildcats’ 11 first-half points. The Lady Eagles were led in scoring in the first half by Williams. She scored all of her 16 points in the first half. Twelve of those points came from four made three-pointers. Ansley Whitley scored nine first-half points for the Lady Eagles.

Things didn’t get much better for the Lady Wildcats. MC went on a 13-0 run to start the second half. The Lady Wildcats got their first points of the second half off a three-pointer by Phillips, making the score 57-14 in favor of MC.

From that point on, the Lady Wildcats outscored the Lady Eagles 19-3, but the hole was too deep to dig out of. MC went on to win 62-33.