Rally pleases Lady Irish coach despite close Catholic setback

KNOXVILLE — Having already defeated Greeneville and Elizabethton from Upper East Tennesee this season, Knoxville Catholic’s girls basketball team invited a talented squad from Middle Tennessee to KCHS last Friday.

Trailing Cookeville 25-9 midway into the second quarter, the Lady Irish began chipping away at the Lady Cavaliers’ lead in the final few minutes of the first half.

Catholic then pulled to within a point or two at three stages in the fourth quarter — the last with 1:47 to play — led by freshman guard/forward Sydney Mains (team-high 22 points) and sophomore guard Jazmin Williams (17 points).

But the Lady Cavs (7-2) took advantage of two late KCHS turnovers and won 45-40 Dec. 18.

“We just ran out of time. I thought we outplayed them in the second half,” KCHS head coach Travis Mains said, as his Lady Irish fell to 4-5. “We’re playing with freshmen and sophomores, for the most part, and they’re playing with juniors and seniors, so this was a huge game for us.

“… We’re just thrilled to death to be able to compete with good teams like this,” he added.

About Williams and Sydney Mains, “I thought both of them took advantage of the opportunities they had (using) their strengths,” the coach said. “They stepped up and gave us a lift.”