Short Mountain Shocker: Lady Bears Pull Upset In Cancer Tourney

TONY STINNETT, Courier Co-Editor


Short Mountain’s girls shocked traditional power Woodland, 23-20, to secure the first upset of the 2011 Cannon County Cancer Tournament at Woodbury Grammar School Monday.

Ciarra Riddle and Addie Hale scored six points each to lead No. 5 seed Short Mountain. Miranda Byford scored five points and pulled 11 rebounds, Caitlin Miller finished with four and Brooklyn Gunter added two in the winning effort. Short Mountain will face top-seeded East Side in the semifinals Thursday (Dec. 8) at 4:15 p.m.

Kellie Payne scored a game-high 11 points to lead Woodland, which also got four points from Leah Hyatt.

In other girls first-round action, No. 3 seed Woodbury Grammar turned back No. 6 seed Auburn, 33-26. Woodbury will face No. 2 West Side today at 6:45 p.m. Auburn and Woodland is eliminated.

Short Mountain’s girls proved it is not how you start but how you finish that matters. The Lady Bears got off to a slow start before turning it on after the half. Short Mountain didn’t score in the first quarter and trailed 6-0, but the Lady Bears came alive with nine points in the second quarter and pulled to within 11-9 at the half.

Byford, Miller and Riddle came up with big baskets during the second-quarter scoring frenzy that got Short Mountain back into the game.

The difference in the game proved to be the third quarter when the Lady Bears stormed out of the locker room and outscored the Lady Warriors 8-3.  Byford collected seven of her 11 rebounds in the third quarter as Woodland was limited to one shot each time down the court. Meanwhile, Riddle, Miller, Byford and Hale all scored big baskets to spark Short Mountain.

Payne was responsible for all of Woodland’s points in the third quarter, and she scored seven of the team’s nine in the second half but it wasn’t enough to overcome the third quarter hole the Lady Warriors had dug.

WOODBURY 33
AUBURN 26
Emily Sissom poured in a game-high 16 points, Jessica Elmy added seven and Hannah Haley finished with six as Woodbury posted a 33-26 decision against Auburn.

Auburn was led by Maleah Scott’s eight points, along with seven from Samantha Gaither and four from Hannah Whited.

Auburn rolled out to a 20-13 halftime lead but Woodbury dominated the second half on its home court and pulled away for the win.

The Lady Cubs outscored the Lady Knights 20-6 in the decisive second half, including 9-2 in the third quarter when Woodbury battled back to even the score entering the fourth frame.

Sissom took over in the fourth quarter. She scored seven of her six in the frame, as well as 14 of her 16 in the second half, to ignite the Woodbury offense.

Woodbury’s defense was key, limiting Auburn to a 2-for-23 shooting effort from the floor in the second half.