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DeGraffenreid scores 39 as Lady Mustangs win at North
Cetera DeGraffenreid scored 39 points while hitting 19 of 21 free throws leading Smoky Mountain to its first victory at North Buncombe in 11 years, a 62-53 Mountain Athletic Conference win on Jan. 18.
DeGraffenreid was also the top rebounder with 11. She also contributed four assists and three steals.
Kristine Webb scored 10 points to go with eight blocked shots and seven rebounds.
Cetera DeGraffenreid takes the ball to the basket for Smoky Mountain in last week's 62-53 win over North Buncombe. DeGraffenreid hit 19 of 21 free throws and scored 39 points. – Herald photo by Carey Phillips
Kayla Price had 12 points for the Lady Hawks.
"It was a big road win for us," Coach Cindi Simmons said. "We came out from the locker room to start the second half and took control of the game. We picked up our defensive intensity and got into an offensive rhythm."
The Lady Mustangs held North scoreless for more than four minutes to start the second half. Meanwhile, they ran off 11 straight points, including five by DeGraffenreid, for a 42-28 margin at the 3:59 mark.
SM was up 48-38 entering the fourth quarter.
The Lady Hawks cut the gap to 50-45 after Kendall Hallingse's three-point play with 6:27 on the clock.
DeGraffenreid, who scored all 14 of her team's points in the final period, hit two free throws at the 6:07 mark. The Lady Mustangs then went to their delay game to take time off the clock. The next score was DeGraffenreid's three-point play for a 55-45 advantage with 2:49 on the clock.
The Lady Hawks came no closer than eight the rest of the night as DeGraffenreid's free throw shooting kept them at bay.
DeGraffenreid hit consecutive three-pointers for an 8-4 lead with 5:40 to play in the first quarter.
Bridgett Smith's basket capped an 8-2 spurt giving the Lady Hawks a 12-10 edge at the 2:34 mark.
Webb's layup with four seconds left in the period put SM up 16-15.
The second quarter produced four lead changes and two ties. A three-pointer by Leslie Mathis with 14 seconds to play sent the Lady Mustangs to the dressing room with a 31-28 edge.
DeGraffenreid hit nine field goals, including two three-pointers, in addition to her 19 of 21 free throw shooting. Webb scored all her points from the floor. Mathis finished with seven points, and Amy Haggard had six.
Haggard and Ameka Buchanan both pulled down six rebounds. Mathis totaled five assists and five boards.
North pulled away in the fourth period to win the JV game 61-48. The Lady Hawks led at quarter breaks by scores of 14-10, 22-20 and 36-35.
SM's Cayla Cucumber scored 17 points, and Kayla Cooper had 11.
"We were much improved in handling their trap press, and we rebounded well," Coach Kim Hardy said. "They just beat us on outside shots."
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