A Tiger ambush… Hunter Lady Tigers maul Jr. Lady Bucs, 33-8
Published 12:16 am Wednesday, November 6, 2019
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Haley Taylor of Hunter brings the ball across midcourt against strong pressure from a Jr. Lady Buc.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Hunter Lady Tiger Emma Taylor goes up for a layup on a fast break.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Lady Tiger Julie Tolley applies the defensive pressure against a Jr. Lady Buc in action Monday evening.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Hunter's Mattie Salyer takes the ball to the hoop strong for a bucket.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
JOHNSON CITY – Basketball got underway in earnest Monday evening for local middle school teams. One of those teams was the Hunter Lady Tigers and everybody knows when a Tiger is kept away from its normal environment that they become very aggressive.
Such was the case for the Lady Tigers who were chomping at the bits to get back on the hardwood and they made short work of the host University School Lady Bucs in varsity action by attacking early and often for a 33-8 victory at the Carver Recreation Center inside Charles J Moncrief Gym.
The first quarter was the closest quarter of play as both teams were getting out early-season jitters with Hunter doing just enough to build a 6-4 lead at the first horn.
Emma Taylor, Julie Tolley, and Hannah Yontz each scored a basket to put the Lady Tigers out front in the first six minutes. Vania Ortiz scored three of the four points scored by University School.
Hunter turned up the heat in the second period on both ends of the court forcing the Lady Bucs into several turnovers while capitalizing at the other end of the floor to outscore the home team 11-2 to push their advantage to 17-6 to end the first half of play.
Tolley had a big quarter offensively scoring five of the 11 points registered by Hunter. Mattie Salyer total three in the period while Alisha Harrell and Haley Taylor added two and one respectively.
The Lady Tigers came out and even though the offense slowed in the third quarter, Hunter still managed to take the third period 6-2 behind Salyer, Tolley, and Haley Taylor who recorded a field goal apiece.
Hunter really tightened the noose in the final quarter as the pressure defense just overwhelmed the Lady Bucs as the Lady Tigers closed out the game with a 10-0 period to take the big win.
Jill Faust played lights out in the period scoring eight of the Lady Tigers 10 points in the final six minutes and Emma Taylor added the other bucket to close out the contest.
Tolley led all scorers with nine points while Faust’s strong quarter gave her eight for the game. Salyer (5), Emma Taylor (4), Haley Taylor (3), Yontz (2), and Harrell (2) balanced out the scorebook for Hunter.
Junior Varsity
Hunter……………….31
University School…..4
Hunter’s Lady Tiger JV set the bar for the varsity team by running the Lady Bucs off the court in early play with a 31-4 win.
Emma Taylor blistered the nets for 14 points to lead the way to the win. McKenzie Mobley tossed in seven points for Hunter while Mollie Buckles and Katlyn Dugger contributed four points apiece.
Alexis Fuller added the final two points to the Lady Tiger ledger.
