Claiborne
flexes defensive muscle in win over Winona
Southern
Sports & Travel
Top
ranked Claiborne put on a defensive clinic in a 50-33 win over fourth ranked
Winona last night in round two action of the Class A State Tournament at Rebul
Academy in Learned, Mississippi.
Millicent
Butler scored a game high 18 points and Kameron Simpson added 13 as the Lady
Rebels improved to 29-2 on the season and advanced to today’s semi-final round
where they will take on Cenla.
Claiborne
set the tone early as they forced eight Winona turnovers in the first four
minutes of the opening quarter.
Those
turnovers led to the Lady Rebels jumping out to an 8-0 lead that was
spearheaded by Millicent Butler who converted on a transition basket and served
up an assist to Kameron Simpson. Millicent and Simpson would be responsible for
Claiborne’s first eight points while on the other end of the court Winona didn’t
get their first shot of the game off until the 4:01 mark of the quarter.
Winona
would get their first point of the game with 3:00 remaining in the quarter as
Mary Kendall Ware hit on one of two free throws.
Kameron
Simpson’s basket in the paint pushed Claiborne’s lead to 10-1 with 2:37 left in
the quarter.
Winona
got a much needed basket on a Kally Kirk offensive rebound and put back, plus
one, to trim the deficit to 10-4 but Claiborne closed the quarter with a
Kameron Simpson driving lay-in to give the Lady Rebels a 12-4 advantage heading
into the second quarter.
Claiborne
started the second quarter with a Kameron Simpson free throw and then took
their biggest lead at 16-4 as Ragan Beard drained a 3-pointer from the wing
less than one minute into the quarter.
Claiborne
grabbed their biggest lead on their last two possessions of the half as
Millicent Butler converted in the paint and Ragan Beard’s fast break bucket
with 31 seconds remaining pushed the margin to 28-11 entering the halfway point
of the contest.
Claiborne
would put the game out of reach in the third quarter.
The
Lady Rebels produced a 13-4 run during the first six minutes of the quarter to
take a commanding 41-15 lead and would finish three quarters of play on top
46-17.
Winona
would outscore Claiborne 16-4 in the final quarter.
Millicent
Butler scored a game high 18 points for Claiborne, Kameron Simpson added 13,
Ragan Beard 9, Madison Butler 4 and Madelyn Haynes, Hannah Harper and Hannah
Colvin each had 2.
Mary
Kendall Ware led Winona (25-11) with 13 points, Kally Kirk added 9, Sara Taylor
Goss 6 and Caitlyn Mitchell 5.
Claiborne
will take on seventh ranked Cenla today at 1:00 pm.
Post Game with Claiborne Head Coach Wade Heigle
