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Kaitlin Ritchie, Elexis Smith lead Lady Mustangs by Enka |
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Kaitlin Ritchie scored a career-high 25 points, and Elexis Smith had 24 leading Smoky Mountain to a 74-58 Western Athletic Conference victory over Enka Jan. 18 at the SM gym.
Tara Green was also in double figures with 10 points. Smith had another double-double with 12 rebounds while Lindsey Lewis led the Lady Mustangs with 13 boards. Nichole Jones had a superb floor game with nine assists and five steals. Green handed out five assists while Ritchie recorded three assists and three steals. However, the win was costly as Ritchie sustained a hairline fracture in her right hand. She could be out as long as three weeks although she hopes to be back sooner. Amazingly, the injury occurred early in the game and she still managed to hit 11 of 16 field goals, including a three-pointer, and two of two free throws. "We came out with a lot of energy and were extremely focused," Coach Cindi Simmons said. "Our teamwork and passing really paid off. Every time they made a run we answered." SM shot 48 percent from the field which was 20 percent better than in the previous game against Brevard. "We shot well but we had to because Enka played such a strong game," Simmons said. "Kaitlin and Elexis both shot extremely well and had strong overall games," the coach said. "Our guards, Tara and Nichole, both provided excellent leadership. Lindsey was a real force on the boards." Looking back, Ritchie's performance was even more outstanding after the seriousness of her injury was discovered. "To find out later that she had performed that way under these circumstances made it even more exceptional," Simmons said. The Lady Mustangs exploded in the first quarter with 26 points. Smith had a field day in the period with 14 points. Ritchie added nine as they combined for all of SM's points in the quarter except three free throws. Smith's 10 points triggered a 16-0 run in the first quarter helping the Lady Mustangs seize command. Her basket at the 5:08 mark put SM ahead to stay 6-5. Green's two free throws capped the spurt for an 18-5 lead with 2:54 on the clock. The margin was 26-13 at the quarter break. Smith picked up her second foul less than a minute into the second period and went to the bench the rest of the half. The scoring slowed in her absence as SM was held to 11 points in the stanza. The Sugar Jets failed to make any significant inroads with 15 points. The Lady Mustangs maintained their 13-point advantage at 33-20 on Green's three-pointer with three minutes left. Enka cut the gap to 37-28 at intermission. The Sugar Jets continued their rally and trailed only 39-34 on Miranda Hull's basket with 6:14 left in the third period. The Lady Mustangs scored eight straight points, including four by Ritchie, for a 47-34 lead with 4:01 on the clock. Enka fought back with a 9-2 run narrowing the deficit to 49-43 on Dana Hill's free throw at the 1:09 mark. Nathalie Broom's basket to beat the buzzer pushed the lead back to 53-43 entering the fourth quarter, and the margin stayed in double figures the rest of the way. SM opened the fourth period with an 8-2 run, including four each by Ritchie and Lewis, for a 61-45 advantage with 6:21 remaining. The game's biggest lead was 72-52 on two Smith free throws with 2:42 left. Like Ritchie, Smith hit 11 of 16 field goals and two free throws. Green made three field goals, including a trey, and three foul shots. Lewis netted eight points, Jones finished with five and Broom had two. Hull led all scorers with 28 points. Kelly Tarr added 14 for the Sugar Jets. The Lady Mustang JVs won 48-34 behind 14 points from Ashley Holmes. SM led at quarter breaks by scores of 10-2, 26-12 and 36-20. "Everybody played well," Coach Heather Broom said. "We played a fast tempo game. Everybody stepped up and did what they were expected to. I was pleased with the defensive effort." She singled out Ashley Harn for her defense. |
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