By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
SPRING GARDEN – Spring Garden girls basketball head coach Ricky Austin took an unusually early timeout in the first quarter of the top-ranked Lady Panthers’ game against Sand Rock on Thursday evening.
He wasn’t happy with the way his team came out of the locker room.
“Before we came out, he looked at us five seniors and said ‘This is your last time playing Sand Rock in this gym. Come out ready to play and show them who you are,’” Austin’s daughter and senior point guard Ace Austin said. “He kind of just gave us a refresher (in the timeout) that’s not the way we came out. He got on to us. He chewed us out pretty good. He said ‘I won’t be scared to practice you after the boys’ game. You better change your defense and pick it up.’”
Whatever the coach said the Lady Panthers took to heart.
A four-point lead prior to the timeout swelled into a 19-point edge at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, the game turned into a 28-point bulge en route to a 74-47 Lady Panther victory.
Ace Austin led the way with 24 points, including four 3-pointers. She sank three of those treys in the first quarter following her dad’s timeout, and also finished with nine assists, six rebounds, five steals and a block.
“I think after that timeout we really responded,” the younger Austin said. “I knew for the others to pick it up I had to pick it up as well. I know they feed off my energy and my flow of the game. I knew I needed to come out with a little more energy and pick it up for the others.”
Ace Austin wasn’t the only Lady Panther to pick up her game. Three other Spring Garden players reached double figures.
Maggie Jarrett delivered 16 points, including four treys, with five boards, two steals and an assist. Olivia Law added 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals. Avery Steward came away with 12 points – all on 3-pointers – with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Montana Highfield finished with seven points.
Macey Pruitt led the Class 2A No. 5 Lady Wildcats (11-3) with 18 points, five rebounds, two steals and an assist. Peyton Johnson added 11 points, including three treys. Maddie Clanton contributed eight points, 11 boards and an assist. Mollie Grace Lay finished with five points, four boards and three assists.
Both teams play in the Alabama ONE Cherokee Basketball Classic in Centre this weekend. Spring Garden takes on Gadsden City on Friday at 6 p.m. at Cherokee County High School. Sand Rock battles Boaz on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
