Cornersville notches 1st win over MCHS since ’14

By Dennis Holley ~ For the Tribune
Posted 12/24/21

CORNERSVILLE — The Marshall County High School Tigerettes took the short trip down Highway 31A to take on the Cornersville Lady Bulldogs on last Friday night in a battle of inter-county …

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Cornersville notches 1st win over MCHS since ’14

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CORNERSVILLE — The Marshall County High School Tigerettes took the short trip down Highway 31A to take on the Cornersville Lady Bulldogs on last Friday night in a battle of inter-county girls’ basketball.
The Lady Bulldogs, using a stingy defense, rebounding efficiency and balanced scoring from its starting five, downed the Tigerettes 47-31.
The Lady Bulldogs were led in scoring by the 16 points of Alicia Polk and the Tigerettes were led  by Mashawna Ridley and Kayla Keiler, who both scored 10 points.
The tip-off went to the Tigerettes and Keiler, with a 12-foot jumper put the Tigerettes on the board first.
Cornersville’s Grayson Riner, with a soft jumper from down low countered to tie the game at 2-2.
Hollingsworth drained a 3-pointer from the right-hand corner, then popped in a 15-foot jumper to push Marshall County out in front, 7-2.
Riner responded again from down low to make the score 7-4.
Ridley then score a 3-point play, the old fashion way with a basket and a free-throw, to push the Tigerette lead to six points.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Anna Wood and Polk tied the game at 10-10 with 2:28 left in the first quarter.
Polk, with a short jump shot, a free-throw by Katie Powers, and a basket and a free-throw by Ady Gentry increased the Cornersville lead to six points as the quarter wound down, 16-10.
The second quarter began with Polk swishing a 3-pointer and Gentry on a put-back extending the Cornersville lead to 11 points with 5:23 left in the half.
The Lady Bulldogs maintained the lead through the rest of the second quarter as Gracie Spray lofted a 3-pointer and Powers added a put-back.
Marshall County countered with four points by Ridley, and a 3-pointer and free-throw from Keiler to trail by eight points at the end of the first half.
The Lady Bulldogs began the second half on a six-point run as baskets by Riner, Polk and Jayli Childress had the Lady ‘Dogs on top, 32-18.
Keiler dropped in a basket, and Ridley and Hollingsworth sank free-throws before Cornersville responded with Wood and Childress adding scores on jump shots to maintain the Lady Bulldog lead at 36-22 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
Adrianna Greer sank a basket but Cornersville countered with a trey by Gracie Spray and a put-back by Powers, once again establishing her territory underneath the basket to lead 41-24 at the end of the third quarter.
Marshall County started the fourth quarter and fought back with a free-throw by Maggie Steely and a basket by Ridley but a basket by Polk staved off the rally and Cornersville kept the double-digit lead for a 47-31 victory, the first over the Tigerettes since November of 2014.
“I’m happy for the girls. It’s not about me, it’s about the girls. They have been working hard and everybody has been working together. It is good to get a county win. We’re getting better every game,” Coach Hayden McMahon said.
Point guard Jayli Childress said when asked about what she felt that her team did well in the win simply said, “We rebounded.” 
Tigerette coach David Steely, whose team has been battered with injuries suffered another as junior Caraline Hollingworth was carted off with a lower leg injury.
“She (Hollingsworth), we will have to wait and see about her injury. It is always disappointing to lose. We got beat on the boards (rebounding). That is a recipe to lose. We will work to get better,” Steely said.
 
Marshall Co. 10    8  6  7 — 31
Cornersville 16  10 15 6 — 47
 
Marshall Co.: Mashanna Ridley 10, Kayla Keiler 10, Caraline Hollingsworth 8, Elianna Greer 2, Maggie Steely 1.
Cornersville (39): Alicia Polk 16, Gracie Spray 6, Grayson Riner 6, Ady Gentry 5, Katie Powers 5, Anna Wood 5, Jayli Childress 4.
3-Point Goals: Marshall Co. (2): Hollingsworth, Keiler.; Cornersville (5): Spray 2, Polk 2, Wood.
Free Throws: Marshall Co. (5-10): Ridley 2-of-4, Keiler 1-of-2, Hollinsworth 1-of-2, Steely 1-of-2; Cornersville (2-of-4): Gentry 1-of-2, Powers 1-of-2.
Halftime Score: Cornersville 26, Marshall Co. 18.