Cherokee’s Shelby Wolfe (#14) goes for a shot around Murphy’s Kiara Dalrymple during a game at Murphy on Friday, Jan. 29. Wolfe finished the game with 10 points. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
MURPHY – The Cherokee Lady Braves stayed perfect (9-0) in Big Smoky Mountain Conference play with a 25-point (80-55) win at Murphy on Friday, Jan. 29. Pooh King, junior point guard, led Cherokee with 29 points with 25 of those coming in the first half.
Chris Mintz, Lady Braves head coach, said road games are never easy. “We did what we needed to do to win. We played hard. We did what we needed to do in the fourth to make sure we go the victory.”
“They’re (Murphy) so big and their center is so good and is such as hard person to keep off the boards, we just concentrated on trying to stop the offensive rebounds. They were killing us early with it. We did a little bit better job, but still not as good as we wanted to.”
Pooh King, Lady Braves junior point guard, goes inside for a shot. She led Cherokee with 29 points including 25 in the first half.
The Lady Braves had four players in double digits including King, Tori Teesateskie 13, Timiyah Brown 11 and Shelby Wolfe 10.
Murphy scored first and led briefly in the first few minutes – their only lead of the game. Cherokee got going and took the lead (7-4) at the 5:37 mark and never relinquished it again. They ended up leading 23-12 at the end of the first.
Both teams were just about even for the first two minutes of the second as Cherokee led 31-17 at the 5:51 mark. They went on to take an 18-point (49-31) lead into the locker room.
The third period was also relatively close with Cherokee keeping a 20-point lead for most of the eight minutes. The Lady Braves led 67-49 at the end of the third.
Cherokee outscored Murphy 13-6 in the final period to seal the 80-55 victory.
Other Lady Braves scorers included: Macie Welch 5, Carla Wolfe 4, Jamie Lossiah 4, Brionna Jumper 2 and Jordan Maney 2.
Murphy scorers included: Hailey Thompson 5, Karyn Stiles 11, Cassie Coker 4, Ellie Martin 8, Shelby Shore 6, Aubray Clapsaddle 11 and Emma Stroup 10.
To view or purchase photos from this game, visit: https://onefeather.smugmug.com/SPORTS/BASKETBALL/LADY-BRAVES-BASKETBALL-201516/At-Murphy-January-29/
