Playing on the road at Hancock County Thursday evening, the middle school girls basketball teams split two games.
In the seventh-grade opener, Gracie Escue scored 10 points and Isabel Blanton added eight as the Lady Cougars evened their record at 3-3 on the season with a 39-26 victory.
The eighth-grade girls fell to 0-6 on the year as they lost 45-17.
SEBENTH-GRADE GAME
The score was tied four times in the first period, the last time coming at 8-8 with 1:23 left in the game. The Lady Cougars then scored the final four points of the period to lead 12-8 heading into the second quarter. The Lady Cougars would not give that lead back.
Grayson County opened the second period with an 11-4 run to lead by 11 points, 23-12 with 1:47 left in the half. They led by nine points, 24-15 at the half.
Grayson County then outscored the Lady Hornets 7-3 in the third period to lead by 13 points, 31-18 heading into the final period of play.
When the Lady Cougars scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, they held their largest lead of the night, 19 points at 37-18 with 4:13 left to play. The Lady Hornets closed out the game on an 8-2 run, but it was not enough.
Sutten VanMeter scored seven points for the Lady Cougars while Lily Kate Hill added six. Karla Childress had four points, while Alexis Thompson and Kenleigh Hiodges had two each to complete the scoring.
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
The Lady Hornets went out to an early 7-2 lead, but a lay-in by Allie Jennings, and a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Sydney Perkins tied the score at 7-7 heading into the second period.
With Hancock leading by three points, 15-12 at the 2:34 mark, the Lady Hornets scored the last eight points of the period to lead by 11, 23-12 at the half.
Hancock County then opened the third period with a 13-0 run, making it 21 straight points they had scored. Hannah Franklin stopped the run with a three-pointer to beat the buzzer, making it 36-15 as the fourth quarter began.
Hancock then scored the first nine points of the final period to lead by 30 points, 45-15 with 2:24 left. Franklin followed with a 15-footer at the 2:15 mark to make it 45-17, and neither team scored the rest of the way.
Hancock’s Lily Roberts led all scorers with 21 points, while Karmin Riley added 11.
Coray Milam led the Lady Cougars with six points, while Franklin had five. Perkins finished with three points, Addy Bratcher added two, and Allie Jennings closed out the scoring with one point.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
