Lady Cats Lose Battle of the Claws to Lady Bears on the Road in Make-up Game

Williams Notches Third Triple-Double of Season

Lady Cats sophomore center Cariann Williams (30) shoots a short jumper against host Butler County Monday January 29 in Morgantown.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats lost on the road by three in a make-up game against the Butler County Lady Bears Monday, January 29th in Morgantown.
 
The final score was 39-36. 
 
There was aggressive play, but not quite a full court press by both teams from tip off to the final buzzer. The aggressive, sometimes overplay by both squads made for a host of turnovers with what seemed more fast breaks heading away from the Lady Cats than to their bucket.
 
There were 20 Lady Cat turnovers alone, according to stats curated during the Edmonson Live broadcast.
 
The often scramble, swiping, double and triple-teaming scrums led both teams to shoot well below 40 percent from the field, with the Lady Cats shooting 30 percent and the Lady Bears marginally better with 35 percent from the field.
 
It wasn’t so much the Lady Cats weren’t getting shots to fall when there was good off-ball movement, and despite the aggression and mayhem trying to break the man-to-man coverage with each team wearing their opponent like another jersey. It was that the Lady Bears seemed to have a few more fall.
 
Lady Cats sophomore center Cariann Williams often wore two or three extra jerseys and arms while earning her third triple-double of the season with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks on the night. Junior guard Jenna Cook was also in double digits scoring with 10 points and 3 rebounds.
 
Lady Cats junior guard Kennadi Swihart was in street clothes with a brace on her leg and crutches to assist mobility and could only offer support from the bench. She is due for an MRI later in the week.

Lady Cats junior guard Jenna Cook (3) looks to finish a layup against host Butler County Monday January 29 in Morgantown.

​In the first quarter there were four lead changes, over a half dozen team turnovers and Williams had all seven of the Lady Cats points with the lead 7-6 after the first eight minutes.
 
By the end of the first half the score was 17-16 in favor of the host Lady Bears after two more ties and two more lead changes.
 
Williams had 9 of her 15 points and 10 rebounds already with the Lady Cats out-rebounding the Lady Bears 17 to 5 in team rebounds, according to Edmonson Voice Live stats.
 
Early in the third quarter, after the Lady Cats tied it back up at one point briefly, but the Lady Bears then went ahead 3 points and held on. They inched their lead to 6 points briefly and the Lady Cats clawed back to within 5 when the third quarter ended with the Lady Bears in front of the Lady Cats 29-24.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Cats came within 1 point with around 1:30 left, down 37-36, but could not get the ball to fall where Butler then could, and without getting off a final shot, the buzzer sounded with the score 39-36 in favor of host Butler County.

Lady Cats freshman guard Shelby Sowders (50) moves the ball up court against host Butler County Monday January 29 in Morgantown.

Lady Cats junior forward Maggie Cassady (15) shoots a layup against host Butler County Monday January 29 in Morgantown.

​“It got us tonight, they were the tougher team,” Lady Cats head coach Jody Booth said after the game on the Edmonson Live broadcast.
 
Booth acknowledged turnovers were a huge issue on the night and despite making kids run or do extra exercise for committing them, telling, asking, pleading with the kids to take better care of the ball only gets one so far. 
 
Sometimes it’s up to the kids.
 
Next, the Lady Cats travel Friday February 2 to face Trinity at 6 p.m. in Whitesville.