First conference victory a big one for Lady Hornets
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
SHERIDAN — With eight of its top 10 players returning including its top two scorers from a State tournament team and the addition of a move-in that had led a nearly unbeaten junior high team at Lake Hamilton, the Sheridan Lady Yellowjackets figure to be the favorites to win the AAAAA-South Conference this season. In fact, it’s hard to imagine them losing many league games at all, much less at home.
Imagine it.
In the first conference game for either team, the Bryant Lady Hornets went to Sheridan and stunned the Lady Jackets, 55-44.
The Lady Hornets, who had been up and down this season, put everything together for their league lid-lifter. Their clutch shooting and a tremendous defensive effort — particularly inside against bigger players — lifted them to victory.
Bryant held Sheridan’s rugged 6-1 junior center Misti Vance to just 6 points — all in the first half — by double-teaming out of their matchup zone when the ball went into the post. Neither Elizabeth Drye, at 6-0, nor Shelly Johnson, at 5-11, managed any scoring out of the post for Sheridan.
Guard Brandy Taylor scored 17 despite foul trouble but she had to work to get those and couldn’t do it alone.
Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets got balanced scoring. Sophomore forward Jennifer Slack had 12 points to lead the way, 10 of that came in the first half as she kept her team in the game. Senior guard Joanie Robideaux added 11 points including a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half that allowed the Lady Hornets to gain the upper hand in the game. Junior forward Bree Mann also had 11 including some clutch free throws down the stretch that helped hold off a Sheridan rally. Senior center Kim Jacuzzi had 8 points, all in the second half.
And the Lady Hornets welcomed back senior guard Candice Croy from the injured list. She scored all 7 of her points in the second half. Her first field goal was a big one.
Sheridan had whittled a 10-point Bryant lead down to 5 and appeared to have the momentum going into the final four minutes of the game. Robideaux had just fouled out and Taylor had drilled her second 3-pointer of the fourth quarter to make it 41-36. But Croy knocked down the open jumper from just beyond the free-throw line to stem the tide.
In turn, the Lady Hornets forced a Sheridan turnover and Jacuzzi stepped out on Vance and nailed a 15-foot jumper and the Bryant lead was suddenly back to 9.
A pair of free throws by Sheridan’s Chelsey Woodall kept her team’s hopes alive. But, at the other end, Slack drove and drew the defense then dished to Mann for a basket and a chance for a three-point play. Mann, who was 7 for 9 at the free-throw line in the game, hit the subsequent freebie and Bryant had its 10-point margin back, 48-38, with 2:20 left.
Sheridan never got as close again. Croy, Rachel Blakley and Mann all hit free throws in the late going to preserve the victory.
The way the game started gave no clue to the way it would end. Sheridan jumped to a 7-1 lead. The Lady Jackets went inside to Vance, Taylor hit a 3 and Samantha Anglin, the move-in point guard, drove into the lane and nailed a jumper.
But Taylor quickly picked up her second foul and had to go to the bench.
The six-point margin wound up being Sheridan’s largest lead of the game.
Things started to change as Slack hit the offensive glass for Bryant’s first field goal at the 2:15 mark of the first quarter. Vance answered but Slack, showing her versatility, buried a 15-foot jumper and Robideaux added a pull-up jumper to bring Bryant within 9-7 by the end of the period.
Woodall drained a trey to start the second-quarter scoring and Sheridan led 12-7. Baskets by Blakley and Slack followed, cutting it to 1 but, though they kept it close, the Lady Hornets were unable to draw even until, with :23.5 left in the half, Robideaux hit a free throw to make it 20-20.
And when Jacuzzi hit the offensive boards to score the second-half’s first basket Bryant was ahead to stay.
After an exchange of turnovers, Jacuzzi was fouled following her own miss. She hit two free throws to make it 24-20 and, after Taylor missed a 3-point try, Robideaux bombed one in. Woodall missed from 3 and, in turn, Robideaux misfired. But Jacuzzi rebounded and fed Robideaux for another try from nearly the same spot. This time, she nailed it and, all of a sudden, Bryant led 30-20 and Sheridan needed a timeout.
The Lady Jackets wound up scoring just 4 points in the third quarter which ended with Bryant up 33-24.
The final period began with a 3-pointers by Anglin and Taylor around a Slack basket. Sheridan was within 35-30 when Mann was fouled inside with 6:13 left. She converted twice and, at the other end, was fouled again grabbing a rebound off a Sheridan miss. In the bonus, Mann again drained two from the line and the margin was back to 39-30.
Taylor sparked that one last push for Sheridan only to have the Lady Hornets step up again, this time to close the deal.
