Editor’s Note: Sequoyah boys fell 69-46 to South-Doyle. The Advocate & Democrat was unable to get in contact with Chiefs’ coach Joel Bailey prior to press time, despite efforts to do so.
Sequoyah’s defense stepped up late in the Lady Chiefs’ District 5-3A clash with South-Doyle on Jan. 10.
Holding the Lady Cherokees’ top scorers on the night to four points in the fourth quarter allowed for a one-way closing period and a 56-44 Sequoyah win.
“Your defense has to create your offense. There are going to be games where the shots are going to fall. What is going to keep you in the game is your defense,” Sequoyah coach Allyson Bowers said. “We are down by three at the half and not shooting the ball well. I told the girls we are only down three because of our defensive effort. They are trusting each other on the defensive end.”
Sequoyah has picked up two wins in succession, following a 53-37 win over Loudon on Jan. 5.
“The last two games, our defense has won the ball game,” she said. “We are going to continue to push that. We still have work to do, but defense won tonight.”
The Lady Chiefs have won as many games since new year’s as they did in the first half of the season. They also have gone back to a winning record in the league, now 2-1.
“We have made a little bit of a turn here after Christmas. As a group, we have had some good heart-to-heart discussions,” Bowers said. “I feel like we are coming together. It was a different crew at Loudon that made it happen; it was another one tonight. I have players starting to step up.”
Sequoyah went on a 21-9 run in the fourth quarter. Emily Hunt hit a pair of field goals and scored eight of her 26 points in the frame.
Hunt made 10 shots from the floor, four of those in a crucial third quarter.
“Emily Hunt just plays hard. I tell the girls often when you play hard good things will happen,” Bowers said. “Every possession she just plays hard. She had the hot hand and we were able to get her the ball in the front court. She would have mismatches and attack the rim.”
South-Doyle would shift defenses based on Hunt’s penetration, but could not limit her from finding opportunities.
“They just could not handle it,” Bowers added.
Sequoyah was shooting only 8 for 14 at the line by the half. The team finished 17 for 26 with Dana Harmon netting 8 of her 10 foul shots.
Harmon hit a 3-pointer and was 3 for 4 at the line in the fourth quarter.
“We did not meet that goal tonight, but I was not too upset we did not do that because when we needed to hit them we hit them,” Bowers said. “That was when the game got really extended (down the stretch).”
South-Doyle shot 9 for 13 on the night, all in the first half.
Sequoyah trailed 12-6 after the first quarter, a period where their opposition made five field goals. After trailing by three at the half, Sequoyah surged to a three-point lead after three frames.
South-Doyle’s DK Kpana hit a 3-pointer and had nine points in the third before being held scoreless in the fourth.
Chloe Summey and Kaiti Johnson added 3-pointers of their own in the frame. Dustie Harris supplied her points on the night in the third as well.
“We are getting a little more team chemistry. We are getting more of a rotation built,” Bowers said. “We are just playing together more. We have done some different drills to work on that and we talk about it often.”
Per Bowers, the group is doing an improved job of trusting and picking each other up.
“If we are going to get anywhere, it is only going to be getting there together. We are going to do it as a team. It is a beautiful thing,” Bowers said. “A lot of growth and maturity has been coming.”
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