By JOHN ROARK
john.roark@register-news.com
MT. VERNON — After avowing to not let one or two Zeigler-Royalton scorers get the best of her team, Summersville Junior High School girls basketball coach Amy Johnson put the fate of the Lady Wildcats into the hands of point guard Courtney Scarbrough.
With Summersville clinging to a 21-19 halftime lead in the second game of Thursday’s Summersville Shootout, Johnson instructed Scarbrough to take over, and she did, scoring 13 of her game-high 18 points in the second half and leading Summersville (8-0) to a 45-30 second-half romp of Z-R.
The Wildcats had a tough time limiting the Tornadoes’ Hayley Motsinger and Brittany Brooks, who scored all but two of Z-R’s points. The duo had 19 at the half against Summersville’s box-and-one defense, which Johnson scrapped at intermission.
“I told them at halftime that our defense had to shut them down,” Johnson said. “I told them if they didn’t score any more points, they couldn’t win because we were winning at halftime.”
And that’s precisely what happened. Z-R got just one basket from Brooks and a free throw by Motsinger, and Summersville pulled away at the third stop, 35-22.
Scarbrough scored eight points herself during a third frame which saw the hosts outscore Z-R, 14-3.
“We pride ourselves on defense and that always turns into instant offense,” Johnson said, “and I told Courtney to take over and drive, take her shots or dump to whoever is open.”
A 10-0 run which extended into the fourth period pushed Summersville ahead, 37-22, and the rout was on.
Colleen Skobel added nine points, Beth Burns seven, Victoria Skobel five and Allie Sledge, Kaliegh McGee and Kirsten Farley all had a pair.
“Sledge can shoot from outside, Victoria Skobel can be instant offense inside,” Johnson said, “and our big girls clean up what doesn’t go in.”
Motsinger scored 17 and Brooks 11, but they weren’t enough.
In other games Thursday — all boys’ games — Dodds clipped Field, 50-43, Flora got past defending Class M champion Cairo 48-34 and Casey blasted Woodlawn, 59-31.
Friday and Saturday’s Shootout schedule can be found in today’s Scoreboard section.
