By AMBLE SMOKER
ONE FEATHER STAFF
MURPHY – Picking up where they left off in the regular season, the Cherokee Middle School Lady Braves overwhelmed the Murphy Bulldogs in the first round of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament on Saturday, Jan. 25 by a score of 74-19.
Cherokee Middle School’s Tori Teesateskie pulls up for a shot during a game against Murphy in the first round of the SMC tournament on Saturday, Jan. 25. She led the Lady Braves with 20pts in their big 74-19 win. (AMBLE SMOKER/One Feather)
The Lady Bulldogs initiated a strong game plan by putting points on the board first in the opening minutes. However, their success was short-lived as the offense from the Lady Braves came to life when three pointers rained from the sky and the young Braves built a monumental lead of 20-8 by the end of the first quarter.
As the game wore on, a clicking offense and a suffocating full court press proved to be too much as the Lady Braves denied the Bulldogs any second quarter points. The disciplined defense by the Braves allowed the team to take a 40-8 lead into halftime.
Led by Tori Teesateskie with 20 points and Timiyah Brown with 19, the Lady Braves demonstrated their ability to find the bottom of the net. Other scorers included: Macie Welch 6, Jordan Maney 5, Breece Saunooke 5, Jimiqua Driver 5, Shelby Wolfe 4, Jamie Lossiah 4, Carla Wolfe 3, and Riley Crowe 2.
Coach Peaches Squirrel leads the Lady Braves squad into the semi-finals of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament on Saturday, Feb. 1 against the winner of the Hiawassee Dam vs. Robbinsville game that will be played on Thursday, Jan. 30.
