Monterey, Ferriday pick up wins

Published 12:01 am Friday, December 19, 2014

OLLA, La. — Bailey Book scored a team-high 12 points for Monterey High School as the Lady Wolves defeated the LaSalle High School Lady Tigers 41-25 Thursday night.

Nine players for Monterey found their way into the scoring column. Among those were Jody Duncan with six points as well as Jada Scroggins and Sydney Woodruff, who finished with five points each.

In addition to having so many players contribute on offense, the Lady Wolves’ defense was also a key factor in their win. They didn’t allow LaSalle to get too many open looks and forced several turnovers throughout the first three quarters.

Email newsletter signup

That allowed Monterey to have leads of 13-6 at the end of the first quarter, 24-11 at halftime, and 37-13 at the end of the third quarter.

“I thought we played hard in the first half. The second half, we picked up the intensity,” Lady Wolves head coach Cary Shivley said.

Led by Kierra Smith, the Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Wolves 12-4 in the fourth quarter. Smith led all players with 13 points.

Shivley added that this was a good game for his players to have before the holidays. He also said he was pleased with the team’s effort and intensity.

Monterey (10-4) returns to action at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 when it plays host to Atlanta.

Ferriday girls 48, Franklin Parish 42

MANGHAM, La. — Freshman point guard Kesia Mason scored a career-high 28 points as the short-handed Ferriday Lady Trojans overcame a tough start to defeat the Franklin Parish Lady Patriots 48-42 Thursday night at the Mangham Tournament.

Ferriday was without three players, including leading scorer and junior point guard Jada Griggs, who sprained an ankle in a loss to Wossman Wednesday night. And her absence showed in a big way in the first quarter as the Lady Trojans trailed Franklin Parish 11-6 at the end of the quarter.

“We didn’t have our floor general, our leader. That kind of put us in a rut in the first quarter,” head coach Lisa Abron said. “So I challenged everyone else to step up and they did. I told them we could win without her and we had to win without her.”

Mason answered the challenge in a big way. She connected on four 3-pointers, went into the paint and was outstanding at the free-throw line, going 7-for-8. Abron said making the long-range shots is what allowed Mason to get her rhythm going.

“Kesia really stepped up. She’s our second highest scorer on the team,” Abron said.

Even though Ferriday didn’t plays its usual press defense, it still outscored Franklin Parish 15-6 in the third quarter for a 36-30 lead. Both teams scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.

“Two other post players are not with me, one with an injury and the other with personal problems,” Abron said. “But we still managed to pull it out. I am happy with the win.”

Shaniqua Hillard had eight points while Lakeshanna Harris and Anasia Turner added four points each for the Lady Trojans.

Ferriday (9-2) takes on tournament host Mangham at 7 p.m. today.