The Newport Plain Talk

GREENEVILLE-Down to their final 16 minutes of basketball in the 2008 GreenBank Ladies Classic, the Cocke County Lady Red saved their best for last.

Trailing by as many as 19 points, the Lady Red outscored storied Shelbyville Central 20-2 over an eight-minute span in the second half, earning a 57-54 win and completing one of the largest comeback victories in Ladies Classic history.

Cocke County (14-3) captured seventh-place in the tournament with their win over the Golden Eaglettes (9-6).

Lady Red coach Wade Wester said his team's character and resolve helped play a major role in the game's outcome.

"That's what's special about it is the way we did it, coming back from 19 points down," Wester said. "I can't feel more prouder of this team and the character we have.

"They are fighters," Wester said. "They don't lose, they don't want to lose, they don't accept losing and that's what makes them special."

Cocke County fought back from a 19-point overall deficit after suffering through their roughest half of the season in the game's opening half.

The Lady Red committed 14 turnovers, eight from the hands of Buda, that gave Shelbyville 11 points. When Cocke County was not busy turning the ball over, they shot only 8-of-22 from the field and gave up 12 second chance points to the Golden Eaglettes.

However, it was a turnaround by Buda in the game's second half that got momentum rolling for the Lady Red, according to Wester.

Buda suffered through her worst half in a high school uniform in the opening half, and may have turned in one of her finest in the second. The junior point guard was literally begged by her head coach to not pass the basketball, instead to shoot it, even in the face of a 1-on-4 fast break.

Buda finished the half with 14 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including the go-ahead 3-point basket with 1:21 remaining in the game.

Wester said Buda's changed offensive play in the second half brought momentum to the team's side.

"(Buda) was a huge key," Wester said. "She brought the momentum towards our side.

"Then the rest of the team kicked in, they started making plays," Wester said. "Each individual player made a play that helped us."

Shannon Depew scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half, as the Lady Red's leading scorer continued to knock down her 15-foot jumper with regularity.

Junior Jalese Pruitt cut the Shelbyville lead to single digits for the first time since the first quarter with a baseline move that beat the final horn of the third quarter.

Courtney Lewis scored seven straight points over a 53 second span to start the fourth quarter to tie the game.

However, Alex Suggs, who has struggled with her shot for most of the season, came up with the biggest bucket of the game. After Cocke County rallied to take a 44-42 lead with 4:49 remaining, the Golden Eaglettes scored on consecutive possessions to take the lead with 2:43 to play.

On the next possession, Suggs knocked down a jumper to re-tie the game, keeping her team squarely in the thick of things.

"I wasn't thinking of anything really (when deciding to shoot)," Suggs said. "The momentum was going and I was wide open and decided I was going to take it."

Shelbyville regained the lead on their next possession on a three-point shot and teams swapped leads, until Buda hit the go-ahead three-point shot with 1:21 to play.

Cocke County built as much as a four-point lead, but had to hold off a final Shelbyville shot after a turnover in the game's final seconds.

Cocke County (57): Morgan Buda 14, Shannon Depew 14, Courtney Lewis 12, Allie Sprouse 8, Alex Suggs 5, Jalese Pruitt 4.

Shelbyville (54): Janie Graves 19, Hannah Dawson 16, Ceny Phelps 8, Shantoria Scott 4, Kelsie Smith 4, Kayla Whorley 3.

CCHS: 19/42 FG (45.2%), 15/22 FT (68.2%), 4/8 3-PT FG (50%), 34 RBS, 23 TO.

SCHS: 16/51 FG (31.4%), 20/27 FT (74.1%), 2/14 3-PT FG (14.3%), 32 RBS, 13 TO.

Tournament Action: South Greene battled Wilson Central tooth and nail, sending the championship game to overtime for the first time in Ladies Classic history, after trailing by as many as 20 points in the game.

However, Wilson Central used a pair of free-throws by Kelsey McGee with 8.5 seconds to play in overtime to win 71-69.

Morristown West took third place with a 62-46 thrashing over Maryville and Greeneville took fifth with a 55-45 win over Dobyns-Bennett.

All-Tournament Team: Jasmine Hassell (MVP) and Ieshia Hassell of Wilson Central; Rechelle Dye and Ansley Ricker of South Greene; Heather Corral of Prairie (Wash.); Brooke White of Chuckey-Doak; Shawna Ellis of Sycamore; Shannon Depew of Cocke County; Blaine Frohlich of Dobyns-Bennett; Keani Albanez of Buena (Calif.); Sidney Goins of Morristown West; Taylor Hall of Morristown West; Bailie Roberts of Maryville; Hannah Dawson of Shelbyville; and Nicole Dickson of Greeneville.

Up Next: The Cocke County girls and boys both return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 6, when they dive back into Inter Mountain Athletic Conference action.

The Lady Red and Fighting Cocks travel to Jefferson County for their fourth conference clash of the season. Tip-off of varsity action is set for 6:30 p.m.

The scheduled match-up between the Science Hill and Cocke County girls originally slated for Jan. 3, was cancelled earlier in the year once the pairings, which featured a CCHS-Science Hill game, for the WazooSports.com Hoop Fest were released.

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