ECMS Lady Cat Basketball Off To Solid Start

Madison Harrison scores on the dish from Lauren Ballance.

Shawn McCombs, story and photos
​Once again, Middle School Basketball has started all around the Bluegrass, and with the ECMS Lady Cats winning the GRVC Championship the last two years, winning is a tradition.  Coaches Tyra Ballance and Tom Vincent are at the forefront of this tradition with both Ballance and Vincent having successful athletic careers at Edmonson County Schools.

Caverna
They started the season off hosting Caverna at home. Caverna brought their 8th and 6th grade team, instead of the traditional 8th and 7th grade.  ECMS came into this game with heavy hearts after the loss of a very beloved teacher and friend.

The 8th grade played the first game of the night with only one starter from last year’s championship team returning, Lauren Ballance. The Lady Cats came out roaring to play and this game was really never in question, as ECMS jumped out early and often.  7th grader Macie McCombs led the way in scoring off the bench with a team high 12 pts. 8th graders Lauren Ballance and Madison Harrison played strong and consistent, Ballance finished with 8pts and 5 rebounds, going 4-4 from the FT line. Harrison had 6 pts and 6 rebounds. 7th grade starting point guard Katie Lindsey pitched in with 7pts and 5 steals as the Lady Cats cruised to victory 51-27.  The 6th grade team also played a great game, almost shutting out Caverna 33-2, led in scoring by Jaedlyn  Simon with 10 pts.
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Breckinridge County
The Lady Cats hosted Breckinridge County October 20th and Tom Vincent’s 7th grade team opened up play in what turned out to be a battle from start to finish. EC had too many turnovers and lost a close one to Breck Co, 35-32. Shea Vanmeter and Macie McCombs both finished with 10 points, and Katie Lindsey had 8pts, in a losing effort.

The 8th grade Lady Cats came out looking good, especially with the play of their center Emma Rose Vincent who had a career night with 16 pts., 5 blocks, and 5 rebounds. Mia Goad also had great game finishing with 11 points and 3 assists, and Madison Harrison again had a solid performance with 8pts, and 6 rebounds as the Lady Cats defeated Breck Co, 41-21.

Glasgow
On Oct 22, the Lady Cats made the short trip to Glasgow to play the Scotties. The 7th grade lost 30-21 as they could never really get anything going offensively. Katie Lindsey had 9 pts., and Macie McCombs and Josie Morrison both finished with 5 each.  

The 8th grade Lady Cats didn’t come out as focused as they had been, but fought hard as this game went down to the final horn before they could pull out the win 30-27. Madison Harrison showed her toughness in this battle, as she had 9 pts and 9 rebounds, with 7 of her points coming from the free throw line as she went 7-10 from the stripe. Lauren Ballance also had another solid performance with 9pts, 5-5 from the FT line, and Mia Goad added 6 points.

Lauren Ballance drives in for the wide open layup against Hancock Co.

Hancock County
The Lady Cats made the long trek over the river and through the woods on a Saturday morning, as they went to Hancock County on the 24th of October. The 7th graders got most of their kinks worked out on offense, as Coach Tom Vincent had to be pleased with a 33-8 victory, where he got to play every single person on his 7th grade roster. Macie McCombs had a big game with 12 points, and 7 steals, and 6th grader Jaedlyn Simon added 5 pts.

The 8th grade Lady Cats came out hot firing on all cylinders, and put this one away early, winning 30-15. Lauren Balance led the way with 13pts, 4 reb, and 2 steals. Mia Goad pitched in 9pts, and Madison Harrison added 6pts with 5 rebounds.

The Lady Cats 8th grade team is 4-0 and the 7th grade sits even at 2-2. Stay up to date on all the ECMS Lady Cats games here at EdmonsonVoice.com.