SPORTS

Hawkins girls suffer consolation loss

Lady Commandos are outscored 29-10 in second half

Chris Brooks
Gallatin News Examiner

HENDERSONVILLE The Hawkins Middle School girls basketball team had no answers in the second half after playing West Wilson close during the opening 12 minutes.

Hawkins Middle’s Kelci Wilks shoots a jump shot over West Wilson’s Natasha Kaesontae during second-quarter action. Wilks scored six points.

West Wilson pulled away in the second half to hand the Lady Commandos a 46-27 loss in the consolation game of the Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association (TMSAA) Area 3 Tournament on Thursday afternoon at Knox Doss Middle School at Drakes Creek.

The Lady Wildcats (10-8) had runs of eight and 12 points in the second half to find some breathing room, after holding a 3-point lead at halftime.

“You’ve got to come ready to play today,” Hawkins head coach Elyse Leach said. “We didn’t come ready to play.”

Macy Thomas opened the scoring for the Lady Commandos (14-4) with a field goal before West Wilson reeled off eight consecutive points to build an 8-2 lead over the first three minutes of the game.

Thomas scored the first six Lady Commando points, and Kelci Wilks converted back-to-back field goals to open the second quarter, giving Hawkins an 11-10 lead. Janaeya Mayes scored her only points of the contest with 2:59 left in the first half, extending the Lady Commando advantage to 13-10.

Hawkins Middle’s Macy Thomas ducks underneath West Wilson’s Teoria Woods during second-quarter action. Thomas scored eight points.

West Wilson closed the first half on a 7-1 run, gaining a 17-14 advantage at the break.

Hawkins point guard Deshiya Hoosier was held scoreless until she hit her only field goal of the game with 2:16 remaining in the third quarter. Hoosier finished with seven points, while Thomas was Hawkins’ leading scorer with eight points.

“It’s tough (not having major production from Hoosier), but it’s nothing we haven’t seen this season,” Leach added. “We just have to step up in other places. Kelci did everything we could have asked her to do, and I’m really proud of her for that.”

West Wilson outscored Hawkins by a 16-6 margin in the fourth quarter after holding a 30-21 lead entering the final period.

West Wilson guard Sydnee Richetto led the Lady Wildcats with 10 points.

Hawkins Middle’s Grace Doucette looks for an open teammate as West Wilson’s Natasha Kaesontae reaches in during second-quarter action.

Hawkins will play on the road in a sub-sectional contest on Monday evening.

Winners of sub-sectional games advance to the Middle Tennessee Sectional Tournament, which will be played next week at Murfreesboro’s Central Magnet School.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

WEST WILSON (46) – Sydnee Richetto 10, Sydney Dalton 8, Teoria Woods 7, Nicole Brill 6, Natasha Kaesontae 6, Gracen Robinson 4, Gracie Clark 3, Taylor Allen 2.

HAWKINS (27) – Macy Thomas 8, Deshiya Hoosier 7, Kelci Wilks 6, Grace Doucette 4, Janaeya Mayes 2.

Half: 17-14, West Wilson. Three-point goals: West Wilson 4 (Kaesontae 2, Clark 1, Richetto 1), Hawkins 1 (Hoosier 1). Records: West Wilson 9-8, Hawkins 13-4.