MOUNTAIN PINE -- With leading scorer Summer Godwin plagued by foul trouble for much of the game, the Mountain Pine Lady Red Devils needed someone else to step up against visiting Cutter Morning Star Wednesday night.
Senior guard Ali Meeks answered the call with a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers, as Mountain Pine improved to 7-15 overall and 5-4 in the 1A/2A-12 blended conference with a 50-45 win at Red Devil Fieldhouse. Cutter Morning Star (12-12, 5-5) has lost six of the last seven games.
"That's just senior leadership right there," Mountain Pine coach Todd Willis said. "I've been pushing her all year long to be able to step up and make those big shots in big moments. She took that leadership role tonight. She kept us in the game, and she put us ahead in the game. It's just huge to have her step up, and it will do a lot for her confidence."
Leading 21-20 after a high-scoring first quarter, the Lady Red Devils stepped up their defense in the second period. Meeks scored seven points, converting on all four of her free throw attempts as Mountain Pine rode a 10-3 run to its largest lead of the game at 31-23 late in the second quarter.
"We don't put up a lot of points, so any time we can have a run and build a little bit of a lead, it is huge for us," said Willis. "We know other teams are going to have their runs, so for us to build that cushion before that, it makes a big difference in the game."
After trimming the gap to 31-26 at the half, the Lady Eagles turned in a stellar defensive performance of their own in the third quarter.
Cutter Morning Star held the Lady Red Devils to just seven points in the frame, while senior guard Loke Miller scored five straight points to spark a 7-0 run as the Lady Eagles knotted the score at 38-38 entering the final period.
"They jumped back in it, and that is a credit to them and their coaching staff," Willis said. "They worked, and they had a good game plan. Once we kind of figured out how we needed to play them, I think that stopped their run and slowed them down a bit."
Senior guard Madison Dixon gave the visitors a slim 41-40 lead early in the fourth quarter before Mountain Pine took control for good. Sophomore forward Jatavia Smith scored four points as part of a 7-0 run that gave the Lady Red Devils a 47-41 advantage.
Four points at the free throw line had the Lady Eagles within 47-45 with less than two minutes to play, but they could get no closer. Meeks and senior Grace Galarza combined to hit 3 of 4 attempts from the foul line as the Lady Red Devils avenged a 36-29 loss at Eagle Fieldhouse from earlier this season.
"It has been a building process for us, and I think this was a culmination of all that work that we've put into it," said Willis. "We battled, and I was worried when Summer went out, but those girls stepped up and they all took their shots."
Mountain Pine showed its range from behind the arc in the opening quarter, while the Lady Eagles answered with points in the paint to set the stage for a back-and-forth game. Sophomores C.J. Burks and Kara Kinkaid combined for 14 points for Cutter Morning Star in the first quarter. The Lady Red Devils buried four 3-pointers, including a buzzer-beater by Meeks to give Mountain Pine the 21-20 edge.
"That gives us that option to be able to move the ball in and then kick it out," Willis said. "We've hit threes sporadically throughout the year, but we've never hit more than four in a game. Tonight, when we opened things up, it helped Summer down low, it helped Tanay (Tash) down low and it got Grace involved down low."
Godwin finished with 12 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Freshman guard Kalariya McDaniel scored seven points for the Lady Red Devils.
Burks paced the Lady Eagles with 13 points, while Miller finished with 11 points and Kinkaid had eight points.
Both teams close the regular season tonight before the start of the 2A-7 West district tournament next week at Poyen. Cutter Morning Star travels to Murfreesboro (14-8) and Mountain Pine plays at Ouachita (21-8, 7-2).
"Tonight was a battle that can only help us," said Willis. "We should have a lot of confidence going into Ouachita and then stepping into that first round game next week, whoever it may be."
Sports on 02/09/2018