Lookout Valley Basketball Sweeps Marion County

Lookout Valley boys’ basketball coach Mike Morton has been trying to instill in his players that an open shot is not always the best shot.

That philosophy of patience and selflessness was on full display Monday night at home as the Yellowjackets got a commanding victory over Marion County 60-34. Jacobi Dixon scored 16 points and Chris Dixon had 15 to lead Lookout Valley, while Corey Cooper chipped in 11 off the bench.

“We preach every day to take good shots,” said Morton. “It’s not about where you’re shooting from, because now everybody shoots from way behind the line. It’s about shooting in rhythm. We want to throw it inside, and then kick it back out for the open shot. It’s so much more fun when we play together.”

Facing a zone defense from Marion County, the Jackets played composed basketball, moving the ball around the perimeter until they had effectively gotten the Warriors’ defense to shift out of position. Their patience was rewarded with wide open three-pointers and gaps in the zone that led to uncontested shots.

Lookout Valley got off to a fast start as Ryan Barber made two treys in the first quarter. Sophomore Jaylen Bates cleaned up inside with four points as the Jackets ran out to a 16-9 lead.

They extended that lead in the second quarter, with Cooper coming in to provide six quick points off the bench. Lookout Valley finished the half 6-of-13 from behind the arc and having committed just three turnovers as they led Marion County 32-16.

After both teams struggled to score in the third quarter, Jacobi and Chris Dixon helped the Jackets put the game away in the fourth. The duo combined for 13 points as Lookout Valley scored 20 in the period to pull away for the victory.

A light-hearted moment came late in the fourth when Jacobi Dixon broke free alone on a fast break and went up to attempt a dunk. He missed, but the ball rattled off the backboard and went in, to which Morton and Dixon shared a laugh. That fun, relaxed atmosphere is something Morton said makes his team so special.

“A lot of these guys have grown up together or have played for me as an assistant coach so we all know each other very well,” said Morton, who is in his first year as the head coach of the Jackets. “A few days ago, he tried to dunk when we were up by a pretty good bit, and I told him to go for it because everybody loves a dunk. But I told him if it was a close game to make sure he made the basket.”

“Then a few days later we were in a close one and he had an opportunity and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, is he going to dunk it?’ But he just layed it up; then he looked and me and smiled, and I smiled. They know I care about them, even outside of basketball. Yes, we want to win, but I want them to be good young men.”

Lookout Valley Girls 38, Marion County 33: After jumping out to a big first-quarter lead, the Lady Yellowjackets held on to beat Marion County behind a monster game from senior Rainey Barber and sophomore Princess Simmons. The guard duo scored 16 points each, and went a combined 7-of-9 from the free throw line in the pivotal fourth quarter to secure the win.

“To have one good guard is great, but to have to is phenomenal,” said Lookout Valley coach Kristen Clounch. “With two guards like that, we’re able to spread the floor. Ideally, we get people to come out at us and put a little bit of pressure on us where we can use our athleticism. We’re extremely athletic, but we’re not very big, so we need to spread the floor to create offense and movement.”

The Lady Jackets hit four 3’s in the opening period as they took control early. Simmons scored nine points as the home team held an 18-7 advantage after a quarter.

That hot offense cooled off quickly in the second quarter. The Lady Warriors, who had a distinctive size advantage, held the guard-heavy Lady Jackets without a field goal and narrowed the gap to just seven at the half.

Continuing to work the ball inside, Marion County evened the game up at 26 by the end of the third quarter. Lorence Bradford scored six of her team-high ten points in the quarter, including one of her two treys.

The fourth quarter was a see-saw battle, as both teams struggled to string together consecutive successful offensive trips. Lookout Valley’s Maddiey Millraney made the second of her two 3-pointers midway through the quarter to give her team the lead.

But the difference-maker was the ball-handling and play-making skills of Barber. A nightmare to guard one-on-one, the Lady Jackets spread the floor and allowed her to use her ability to get into the paint off the dribble. That forced the Lady Warriors to foul her and put her on the free-throw line, where she made 6-of-8 in the quarter.

Once Lookout Valley grabbed the lead, Barber’s dribbling created another headache for Marion County, as the senior was able to effectively dribble out large chunks of the clock by herself. The Lady Warriors didn’t help themselves at the charity stripe, shooting just 1-of-5 in the final frame and 4-of-10 for the game.

“I was pleased that we were able to draw some fouls and then shot free throws well,” Clounch said. “We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well all game, but it is our third game in four days. We just have to play within what we can do, and play to our strength, which is our guard play. We can’t be overly concerned about what other teams are going to do against us.”

(Email Kevin Llewallyn at kevin.llewallyn@gmail.com)