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Eight is enough for FHS girls
Lady Admirals ride efforts of 1,000-point
Torrence to Gibbs Tournament title
Alan Sloan - Sun, Nov, 30, 2008
Eight was enough to win a tournament championship for the Farragut Lady Admirals varsity basketball team.
Having three players out with injuries and one quitting the team last week, Farragut was left with only eight players heading into its Kroger Thanksgiving Classic championship game Saturday night, Nov. 29, versus host Gibbs at GHS.
But Stephanie Torrence’s game-high 30 points led the way as Farragut overcame a 7-0 early deficit with a 18-0 run and never looked back, winning 78-65 to capture the eight-team tourney.
“The shots went our way,” said FHS head coach Wes Edmonds, whose Lady Admirals improve to 5-0. “Gibbs is a really, really good team.”
Torrence, senior guard who was named tournament Most Valuable Player, was joined by FHS sophomore post Hayley Newby and sophomore wing Katie Cargo as All-Tournament selections. Newby and Cargo scored nine points apiece, while Newby and back-up post Anna Brinson, a freshman, each had five rebounds.
About Torrence, “She’s been playing really, really well this year,” Edmonds said. “When we’ve needed her, she’s shown up.
“Hayley gave me a lot of confidence going four guards,” Edmonds added. “We’re small, but we can funnel some stuff inside because Hayley can take care of it. She’s a force in there. … never quits.”
Concerning Cargo, “She plays amazing defense … really athletic, aggressive player,” Edmonds said.
Torrence said, “We’ve been working so hard, we’ve been thrown a lot of obstacles our way since the season [began]. I’m so proud of our team.”
Cargo said it was “a really big moment” in her FHS career to earn All-tourney while helping Farragut win, adding that playing defense “is my favorite by far. … I can always count on my defense to contribute to the team.”
Meanwhile, Torrence reached the 1,000-point career milestone and needed all 26 of her game-high points against Loudon to do so in a 71-55 semifinal win Friday, Nov. 28.
“It’s a great milestone, I’m proud of my teammates for helping me get to that,” Torrence said. “I wouldn’t have had it without my teammates, especially my point guard Brittany [Doss]. I’ve played with her since I was in middle school and she just knows me so well. I really appreciate her.”
Though Gibbs out-rebounded the Lady Ads 31-28, Farragut committed just four turnovers according to FHS team statistics. “That goes to Brittany Doss,” Edmonds said about the senior point guard. “It can’t be understated what she does for us handling pressure. … I don’t really worry that much about getting pressed because of Brittany. She’s just a rock.”
The GHS Lady Eagles, 3-2, committed 10 turnovers while having three players reach double figures scoring: Taylor Mills 17, Jaimie Cabage 14 and Brittany Cavalaris 10.
An Abbie Cooper pass to the cutting Newby for a lay-up gave FHS an 8-7 lead at the 3:37 mark of the first quarter it would never lose.
Jessica Griswold’s three-point basket followed, and five points from Doss capped the 18-0 run as Farragut led 18-9 after one quarter.
The Lady Eagles went on an 8-0 run to erase a 23-13 Lady Ads advantage, but after cutting the FHS lead to 29-28 on a Mills three-pointer, Farragut closed the half with back-to-back Torrence three-pointers and led 37-32 at the break.
Torrence and Griswold pumped in three-pointers to begin the third frame, and Cargo added a 12-foot jumper for a 45-32 lead less than three minutes into the quarter.
Cooper’s three-pointer increased the FHS lead to 50-34, but the Lady Eagles closed on a 12-5 run to make it 55-46 after three.
Meanwhile, Newby entered the fourth quarter with four fouls. She would survive, as did Torrence after picking up her fourth foul in the final eight minutes.
Gibbs twice pulled to within six, the last on Haylee Day’s three-pointer with 4:39 left, making to 61-55 — but never got closer.
Farragut built its lead back to 11 as Cargo fed Cooper on fast break lay-up and a 74-63 lead with one minute remaining.
Torrence and Doss combined to sink seven free throws in the final 1:40 to seal the deal, as the Lady Ads ended 9-of-13 from the foul line. Gibbs was 12-of-17.
Griswold ended with 11 points, while Cargo and Doss each scored nine and Cooper eight. Brinson had two points.
With Farragut senior wing Jennifer Rutherford out since the beginning of the season with a torn MCL knee ligament — she will attempt a comeback later this season, Edmonds said — and junior point guard Alex Newby out indefinitely with a stress fracture in her hip, one other Lady Ad was injured earlier in the tournament.
Junior wing Kylann Scheidt suffered a knee injury against Loudon. But Edmonds said the injury is not serious and Scheidt is expected back this week.
Against the LHS Lady Redskins, Newby scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. About the responsibility of having to carry Farragut’s post play as a sophomore, “I’ve been the only post on my A-A-U teams, so it’s kinda different but it’s kinda the same,” Newby said.
Farragut opened tournament play Tuesday, Nov. 25, with an easy 70-48 win versus Cumberland Gap. Cargo led FHS with 17 points, followed by Torrence’s 16 and Brinson's 12 points and team-high eight rebounds.
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