Turnovers do in Lady Miners, drop to MVE

HASKELL – After routing Woodlawn 61-24 to open the Bill Gibbs Memorial in Haskell on Monday and cruising past Watson Chapel 66-23 Tuesday in nonconference play in Bauxite, the Bauxite Lady Miners resumed action in the semifinals of the Gibbs Memorial Thursday, but the result was not to Bauxite Head Coach Greg Chenault’s liking. Taking on the 2A No. 1 squad Mt. Vernon/Enola Warhawks Thursday, the Lady Miners would fall 51-43 at Daniel Henley Fieldhouse in Haskell and play in the Gibbs consolation game today against Murfreesboro. Tipoff is 3:30 p.m. The

Lady Warhawks play host Harmony Grove in the Gibbs championship at 6 p.m.

“Really disappointed in how we performed,” Chenault said. “We actually made more threes and won the rebounding battle (plus4). We simply failed to take care of the ball and follow the game plan.”

The Warhawks (13-1) took a 14-10 lead after one quarter and outscored Bauxite (9-2) by four again, 13-9, in the second to hold a 27-19 lead at intermission, while holding Bauxite leading scorer Abby Beene (averaging 23.8 going into the game) to just six points in that first half.

MVE upped its lead to 12, 41-29, after the third quarter, and though Beene would get going in the fourth with nine points, she didn’t get much help in the scoring column and the Lady Miners were unable to dig out of the hole they had dug, mostly because they couldn’t hold onto the ball.

“Turnovers are a part of the game but not at the levels we experienced,” Chenault explained. “It was

unacceptable. That’s not us and what we stand for. We will work hard as a staff to make sure this improves.”

Beene tied Warhawk junior Marlee Raby for scoring honors, with both scoring 19 points, but no other Lady Miner would reach double figures. Bauxite seniors Gracie Hill and Layla Patrick, and junior Stephanie Rico all scored six points apiece, while freshman Kennedy Ballard had four.

“We need to erase this game and press on,” Chenault said. “I am confident that our team will.”