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Lady Mustangs rout Veritas in basketball season opener
Smoky Mountain’s women’s basketball team opened its season Nov. 20 with a 77-29 rout of Veritas Christian Academy in Fletcher.
Cetera DeGraffenreid scored 18 points for the Lady Mustangs. Ashley Robinson added 14, and Tasha Junaluska had 10.
Milda Sakalyle topped the Lady Warriors with 14 points.
“I was proud of our team defensive effort,” Coach Cindi Simmons said.
That defense helped lead to 49 transition points.
Ashley Robinson scores two of her 14 points for Smoky Mountain in last week’s season-opening 77-29 victory at Veritas Christian Academy. – Herald photo by Carey Phillips
DeGraffenreid picked up three fouls in the first quarter and sat out the remainder of the half. Despite the absence of the All-American point guard, SM never lost control and built a 20-point lead at intermission.
“We had some players step up and play well during that time,” Simmons said. “I think it will help us in the long run.”
Among them were Junaluska, who ran the point much of the time DeGraffenreid was on the bench, and Laury Brown.
“Laury was a game-changer for us,” the coach said. “She did some things for us that don’t show up in stats.”
Robinson’s two free throws gave her team the lead for good, 4-3, with 50 seconds elapsed. That started an 8-0 run, capped by Amy Haggard’s basket, for a 10-3 advantage at the 5:35 mark.
The Lady Mustangs were on top 14-8 at the quarter break.
They scored the half’s last 10 points, including four each by Brittany Gilbert and Brandi Anders, for a 36-16 advantage.
DeGraffenreid was limited to four points in the first half, but she matched that total with a pair of steals and layups in the first minute of the third period.
The Lady Mustangs outscored Veritas 25-2 in the quarter and reeled off the final 17 points, including six by DeGraffenreid, to lead 61-18.
“Cetera came back in the second half and dominated,” Simmons said.
The game’s biggest lead was 74-25 after Junaluska’s basket with 2:45 on the clock.
Simmons cited Gilbert for her rebounding. She led the team with seven boards, including six on the offensive end.
She also singled out Robinson, who had six rebounds and blocked three shots.
DeGraffenreid came up with eight steals and five assists. Brown, Junaluska and Haggard all had three steals.
The Lady Mustangs shot 47.2 percent from the field.
DeGraffenreid scored all her points from the floor. Robinson hit six field goals and two foul shots. Junaluska made four field goals and two free throws.
Brown finished with eight points, Haggard followed with seven, Gilbert and Jenna Carpenter both netted six, Anders scored four, and Kelli Woodard and Kayla Cooper had two apiece.
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