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July 12, 2004 Pool Play Schedule for Monroe Whitney and her Fire teammates begin their quest for a national championship this coming Saturday, the 17th in Monroe, Louisiana, with the beginning of Pool Play. The Fire schedule for their five pool games is as follows: Saturday, 10:15 vs. the Maryland Sure Shots @ West Monroe High School Saturday, 3:30 vs. the Louisiana Amazons @ R.D. Richardson Family Ctr. Sunday, 8:30 vs. the Potomac Valley Ball Skills @ Sterlington H.S. Sunday, 1:45 vs. Showtime(FL) @ Sterlington H.S. Practice Court Monday, 12:00 vs. Massachusetts N.Central @ West Monroe H.S. July 12, 2004
Fire Fare Well In
Hotlanta May 17, 2004 Whitney Named Team MVP Whitney had a perfect weekend extended one day this evening when she was named Most Valuable Player of her high school team at their awards banquet. She also received an award as the top free throw shooter on the team. This capped off a weekend in which her AAU team, the Charlotte Fire captured the state AAU championship. May 16, 2004
Fire Capture First State Championship!!!!! May 2, 2004
Fire Finish 3-1 In Concord April 19, 2004
April 12, 2004
Fire Finish 5th at Deep South Classic April 4, 2004 Fire Capture Regional Championship The Fire didn't play their best, but played
well enough to win three times convincingly, and walk away with their
second consecutive Regional Championship this weekend. March 28, 2004 Fire Win Greensboro Tourney Despite losing their first game of the
season, the ladies went 5-1 and captured the Tipoff on Tobacco Road
Championship this past weekend. The Fire defeated a vastly improved Garner
Flames team 54-45 in the title game, avenging a loss to the Flames the
previous day. March 21, 2004
Fire Go 4-0 In Raleigh
Fire Go Undefeated In Opening Tourney March 11, 2004 Whitney Named to Big South 3-A All Conference Team Whitney received a nice honor earlier today, when she was named to the Big South 3-A All-Conference Team, as announced in the Gaston Gazette. Whit was one of thirteen players named from the eight team conference. Whit's best friend, Hunter Huss sophomore center Tiffany Blackmon was named conference Player of the Year. She led the Huskies to the regular season conference championship. The All-Conference team is voted on by the conference coaches, but a coach is not allowed to vote for their own player. This makes this honor that much more special, as it shows the appreciation for Whit's game by opposing coaches. Great job ladies!!!!!!!
March 7, 2004 Fire Go Undefeated In Opening Tourney The
ladies got off to a great start this weekend in MT. Airy, by capturing the
championship in the Mayberry March Madness 14/15 division. The girls won
all five of their contests, outscoring their opponents by an average of 25
points per game. February 21, 2004 Whitney's Freshman Season in Review As Whit's freshman season has come to a close, we wanted to offer a glimpse of her highs and lows for the year, and her aspirations for next year. This is pertinent only to her performance and not the team's. Highs Durability- We had two girls in the conference tear their ACL and one other, partially tear hers. We are thankful Whit did not suffer this type of injury and feel like the preventive weight training she does helped to prevent this type of injury. Whit also played almost every minute of every game and this is a tribute to her conditioning and work ethic. Category Leader- Whit led her team in five positive, measurable categories: Points (11.2), Assists (3.9), Steals (2.2), Free throw percentage (65.2%) and made three pointers (38). We say measurable, because Whit's leadership cannot be measured. Her AAU experiences had prepared her for high school in many ways: poise, court awareness and work ethic. She was 3rd in rebounds (3.1), just 3 rebounds per game behind the starting center. Had 5 or more rebounds 5 times, (not bad for a 5'5 guard) She scored in double figures 15 of 25 games, but more importantly in 7 of the team's 9 wins. In the two other wins, she had 9 points and 8 assists in one contest and 6 points and 5 assists in the other. This was particularly impressive considering the "junk" defenses utilized on Whit during the last 7 games of the season. Clutch Play- This term is used loosely when you go 9-16, but Whit had more points, rebounds, assists and free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, than any other quarter. Special Attention- Whit drew "specialized" attention from the conference opponents, especially the second time around. During the last 7 games, she averaged 8 field goal attempts per game, while averaging 14 per game the prior 18 contests. This was in part to "junk" defenses being played on her . To Whit's credit, she did not try and force things in order to keep her numbers up. Turnovers- Whit averaged 4.5 turnovers per game, which was not bad considering the circumstances. This was especially true the last 7 games of the year, when she was the only ball handler left on the team, after Ashley Armstrong went down with a season ending injury and teams were coming after her. Clearly her poise played a big role in her turns being kept to a "reasonable" amount. The development of this poise can be directly attributed to her AAU coaches, Blue and Valerie Edwards, who were vital in developing her point guard skills this past season. Attitude/Hustle- Despite this being a frustrating season for Whit, she maintained a positive attitude and continued to hustle throughout. She played every game to win first, and let everything else take care of itself. She never worried about how many points she scored . We are prouder of this fact, than any other listed above. Lows Shooting- Whit shot but 29% from the field, although she was 34% from three point range. She is clearly a better shooter as most of you know, but has not yet developed the skills to create shots over an extended zone. Teams did not fear us inside and consequently, this made perimeter shooting even more difficult. Add to that we walked the ball up the court the majority of the season and the problem was compounded. Having said that, Whit is still responsible for making shots and we will continue to work and pray for a transition game. Although she led the team, 65% from the line is unacceptable. No excuses, just need to focus more. Unbelievable for someone, who on several occasions, has converted 30 plus consecutively at the Y. Turnovers- I know, we listed it as a high, but it is a low also. Despite the "reasons" for them, Whit needs to keep the ball in her hands at times. She has to learn that the "right" play in AAU is not always the "right" play in high school. Special Attention- It's encouraging that opposing coaches fear you enough to want to focus on stopping you. That respect means your hard work has paid off. However, as a point guard, having a box and one played on you, tends to limit your contribution in certain systems. Obviously, we can't work on this, but can only hope that next year's team can discourage the "junk" defenses. Notes- Assists- Although Whit was a conference leader in assists (final stats not out yet), she lost 4 assists per game on missed, uncontested layups. We bring this up only to give a true indication of how Whit is playing the consummate point guard role. Numbers- To demonstrate how fragile they are: One more made field goal per game and Whit shoots 37%, two more makes and she shoots 45%. Same thing with the free throws. Four more makes for the season and she shoots 70%, ten more and she is at 76%. Just another reason to keep working. February 16, 2004 Lady Jags Season Comes to End Although the Jags gave a decent effort, their season came to an end tonight as they lost to the North Gaston Wildcats for the third time this season, 59-46. Forestview finishes the season at 9-16, the first losing season Whit has had in three years. Both teams came out hot to start the game, shooting 50% from the floor in the first eight minutes, with the Jags down 23-15. It was a different story as both teams were horrendous on offense in the second quarter with the Jags shooting 1-12 and the Wildcats 1-16 from the field. North Gaston only managed 3 points in the quarter and that came with less than a minute to play. The Jags stayed close throughout the third and trailed 38-34 going into the final quarter. However, they would turn the ball over 8 times in the last quarter and managed but 10 field goal attempts. North Gaston meanwhile, went 8-18 and 4-6 from the line to seal the win. Whit had a decent finish to her Freshman season, with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 7 turnovers, although she committed but 1 turnover in the fourth quarter. Caitlyn Clement had another stellar performance with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Clement finished the season second on the team in rebounding, despite being used sparingly through the first half of the season. February 13,2004 Jags Drop Regular Season Finale Despite an effort which showed a great deal of heart, the Lady Jags could not convert down the stretch and lost a 40-39 decision to the East Gaston Warriors. The loss finishes Forestview's regular season at 9-15 and 5-9 in conference play. They will play North Gaston in the first round of the Big South Conference tournament on Monday evening. As most of the conference teams have been the second time around, East Gaston was intent on keeping Whit from getting shots. The Warriors began the game in a box and one, mixed in some man and went back to the box in limiting Whit to four field goal attempts. She finished with 3 points, 1 rebound, 3 steals and 3 assists, while committing only 2 turnovers. Both turns came in the first half as she was perfect down the stretch. Trailing by one with 2:37 remaining, the Jags would go five straight possessions where they turned the ball over on an offensive foul, missed two wide open layups, turned the ball over on a double dribble and missed another layup in succession. They still had another shot to win with :07 remaining, but they were unable to get the ball back in Whit's hands after she inbounded the ball at half court. A wild three at the buzzer wasn't close and the Warriors escaped with the win. North Gaston, the Jags next opponent, played a box and one on Whit the last time they met and she was limited to 13 points on 9 field goal attempts. To Whit's credit tonight, she had an outstanding floor game and did not look to force anything. However, it's going to be a long three years if she continues to be boxed from the point guard position. February 10, 2004 Blackmon Dominates Jags Inside and Out Sophomore center Tiffany Blackmon made it a long night for the Lady Jags scoring 33 points on 14-26 shooting, to go along with 11 rebounds and 7 blocks, as she led Hunter Huss to an easy 68-40 win over Forestview. Blackmon, Whit's best friend, hit an array of shots, ranging from 3 to 15 feet and completely dominated the Jags in every aspect. Tiff clearly demonstrated tonight, that she is not only the premier player in the conference, but one of the best in the state. Whit had a good overall game, scoring 14 points, with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. She also had 4 turnovers. The Huskies shot 44% from the floor though and dominated the boards 31-18, including a 16-3 onslaught on the offensive boards. Forestview kept it close through the first 8 minutes, trailing just 11-9. The Huskies went on an 18-0 run to start the second and the game never got close after that. Despite the margin of defeat, the Jags did play hard on both ends, but did not have an answer for Blackmon. Forestview managed but 40 field goal attempts, shooting 32.5% from the floor. They did commit 20 turnovers to the Huskies 10. The Jags, now 9-14, close out the regular season at home on Friday against East Gaston. February 6, 2004 Lady Jags Win Second Straight Whitney scored 11 points on 4-10 shooting and handed out 6 assists as she led the Jags to a convincing 51-27 win over the Ashbrook Green Wave. The win avenges an earlier season loss to Ashbrook, a loss that may yet haunt the Jags in their quest for a playoff berth. Forestview jumped to a 13-2 lead after one quarter as they held the Green Wave to 1-9 shooting. Ashbrook, playing without their best player, struggled most of the night on offense, shooting only 9-43(21%) from the field for the game. Whit added 3 boards and 4 steals and although not credited with assists, found Hayley Anderson several times underneath, but she was fouled constantly, going to the line 15 times. Anderson had 17 and Ryan Gallagher a season high 15, as the Jags improved to 9-13 overall and 5-7 in the Big South Conference. The Jags were 17-41 (41%) from the floor, only the second time all season they have shot 40% or better two consecutive games. Forestview outrebounded Ashbrook 26-19 and forced the Wave into 26 turnovers. Forestview plays next at conference leading Hunter Huss on Tuesday against Whit's best friend, Tiffany Blackmon. Despite constant double teams Tiff has been a force all season and is clearly the best overall player in the conference this season. The Jags will have to find a way of defending her in order to pick up a much needed win. February 4, 2004 Jags Defeat Mustangs for Third Time The Jags broke a two game losing streak and defeated East Lincoln for the third time this season, 46-44. Forestview is now 8-13 and 4-7 in the conference. The Jags went exclusively inside as the Mustangs attempted to pressure but the ladies were up to the task. Forestview hit 19 of 39 from the floor (49%), their best shooting performance of the season. Whit finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 turnovers, but had a good overall floor game. Five of her assists came in the fourth quarter, all on baskets to middle school teammate Hayley Anderson, who finished with 18 points. Caitlyn Clement added 10 points and 9 rebounds. The Jags play host to Ashbrook on Friday and will try and avenge an earlier season loss to the Green Wave.
February 3, 2004 South Point Easily Handles Jags The Red Raiders jumped to a 13-0 lead after one quarter and never looked back as the Jags fell to 7-13 on the season. Forestview committed a season high 33 turnovers and never looked to be in the game. Whit had her worst offensive night of her young high school career as the Raiders were intent on not letting her have open looks. She went scoreless for the first time all year, on 0-9 shooting. She did manage 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals to go along with 7 turnovers. Clearly the Jags are missing starting guard Ashley Armstrong who was injured in the North Gaston game. No Jag scored in double figures, although Paquita Wingate, up from the jayvee team did score 8 points and grab 4 rebounds. Forestview is now 7-13 overall and 3-7 in conference play. January 30, 2004 Wildcats Topple Jags 53-39 North Gaston connected on 9 three pointers, including 5 in the third quarter, as they beat the Lady Jags 53-39 and all but ended their playoff hopes. Forestview is now 7-12 overall and 3-6 in conference play. The Jags missed 8 layups in the first quarter and lost starting guard Ashley Armstrong to a knee injury just :46 seconds into the game, but still only trailed 20-17 at halftime. The Wildcats got hot in the third, outscoring the Jags 17-9 and all but put the game away. North Gaston connected on 20-61 (32.8%) from the field and were 9-29 from the arc (31%). Wildcat head coach Scott Tudor went to a box and one on Whit just four minutes into the game as he looked to make other people score. Whit finished with a game high 13 points on 4-9 (2-4 threes), and 3-4 from the free throw line. She added 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and committed 5 turnovers, all in the first half. Ashley Greeson added 11 points, while Caitlyn Clement scored 4 points and pulled down a team high 12 rebounds(6 offensive). Forestview shot 14-45(31.1%) from the floor and 9-12 from the line. They outrebounded the Cats 32-28, but had 19 turnovers compared to the Cats 11. The Jags have won but two games (East Lincoln twice) this season when they attempted less than 50 field goal attempts, but shot 44% and 39% in both of those games. They play next at South Point on Tuesday. January 23, 2004 Jags End losing Streak With Win Over Berry Despite missing 8 layups and turning the ball over 24 times, the Lady Jags ended their six game losing streak with a 54-34 win over Berry Academy. Forestview is now 7-11 on the season and 3-5 in conference play. The Jags shot 40% from the floor, something they had not done since December 19th in a win over East Lincoln, their next opponent on Tuesday night. Whit had another solid all-around performance, scoring 16 points on 5-12 shooting, with 3 three's. She added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 5 turnovers. It was her 8 third quarter points that sparked the Jags though, who led by only 3 at halftime. Berry went 4-23 in the second half after going 8-28 in the first half. Caitlyn Clement had another strong performance, with 11 points and 3 rebounds, on a perfect 5-5 shooting night. Five of her points came in the third quarter, as she and Whit were the only Jags to score in the quarter. Hayley Anderson added 12 and Ashley Armstrong 10, as it also marked the first time all season four Jags have scored in double figures on the same night. January 20, 2004 Jags Downward Spiral Continues; Playoff Hopes Dim Once again a lackluster defensive effort, particularly on the interior, sent the Lady Jags to their sixth consecutive defeat, dropping a 60-47 decision to East Gaston. The Jags are now 6-11 overall and 2-5 in conference play. The Warriors shot 45% from the floor, the second highest percentage against the Jags all season. They also went to the line more than anyone all year, converting 16 of 27 attempts. Whit had a solid all around game, with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and only 3 turnovers. Her floor play was instrumental in keeping the Jags close and getting their second most field goal attempts of the season.(60) Although they shot but 32%, that is pretty much in line with where they have been all season. Forestview actually outrebounded the Warriors 31-25, but unfortunately, could not convert on most of their 18 offensive rebounds. Caitlyn Clement had a season high 11 rebounds, with 8 of them being on the offensive end. Most impressively, the majority of them came off of teammates missed shots and not her own. Too many times, our offensive boards have come after we have missed easy layups, by the person missing the shot. Clement's rebounds tonight actually gave us opportunities we have not been getting all season. The Jags playoff hopes now hinge on them having to win at least 5 of their last 7 and getting help from someone else with an upset. their next game is Friday at Berry Academy.
January 16, 2004 Huskies Send Jags to Fifth Straight Loss The Lady Jags could not handle the half court defense of Hunter Huss and the first place Huskies defeated them 50-35 for their fifth consecutive loss. Forestview managed but 40 field goal attempts and for a team shooting 30% from the field, that won't produce enough points to win. The 40 attempts are the second lowest total of the season dating back to game two when they attempted but 37 against Weddington. The Jags committed a season high 26 turnovers, many of them due to players unable to break free from their defenders in the half court set. The biggest nemesis may again have been the boards, where the Jags gave up 20 offensive rebounds, with the Huskies converting on most of them. Forestview also missed six, uncontested layups which did not help matters. In contrast, Huss was 20-59 (34%) from the floor and turned the ball over 17 times. The large disparity in attempts was clearly a major factor in their favor though. For Whit, this was clearly a tough night. Huss coach Jan Wiggins was intent on keeping her from scoring and Whit was limited to 5 field goal attempts on great defense by Paige Lockhart. She did hit 4-4 from the free throw line to finish with 6 points, but had 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal and a season high 12 turnovers. Although many things contributed to the turns, Whit will have to do a better job next time. Whit's best friend, Huss Sophomore center Tiffany Blackmon scored 6 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. Forestview is now 6-10 overall and 2-4 in conference play. They play maybe their most important game of the season on Tuesday when they travel to East Gaston.
January 13, 2004 Ashbrook Upsets Jags in Overtime The Lady Jags squandered a major opportunity to get back in the winning column as Ashbrook won only their second game of the season in a 50-45 overtime upset. It looked early on as if the Jags would break their three game losing streak as they jumped to a 14-6 lead while Ashbrook looked sloppy early. Foul trouble would send three Jags starters to the bench in the second quarter though and the Green Wave were allowed to hang around, trailing 21-14 at intermission. After shooting 3-23 from the floor in the first half, Ashbrook went 16-36 in the second half and overtime to seal the victory. Although the Jags had 23 turnovers, missed shots around the basket and 12 offensive rebounds for the Green Wave were Forestview's biggest nemesis. Whit finished with 16 points, 3 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals and 5 turnovers. She missed out on 8 other opportunities for assists though, as the Jags could not convert layups. Forestview is now 6-9 overall and 2-3 in conference play. their next game is Friday when they play host to conference front runner Hunter Huss. January 9, 2004 Jags Lose Third Straight The Lady Jags tailspin continued tonight as South Point toppled Forestview 62-43. The Lady Jags are now 6-8 on the season and 2-3 in conference play. South Point jumped out to an early 19-6 lead after the first quarter and the Jags never recovered. The Raiders shot 45% from the field, connecting on 7 of 11 from the arc. The Jags last two opponents are 15-29 from three point range as Forestview's lackluster defensive effort continues. Whit had a so-so game, scoring 12 points with 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers. The Jags had but 14 turnovers on the night, but could only shoot 14-56 (25%) from the field. January 6, 2004 Jags Fall Under .500 for First Time This Year The Lady Jags picked the wrong night to forget about defense, as North Gaston shot 50% (27-54) from the field and sent the Jags to a 70-48 defeat. The Wildcats connected on 8-18 from three point range, despite missing their first six attempts from the arc. Forestview looked strong early, jumping to a 12-11 lead after one quarter. Whit scored 8 of her 13 in the first quarter, but the Wildcats tightened their defense the rest of the way and the Jags would not win another quarter. North Gaston went on a 15-6 run over the last 3:45 of the second period. They were 9-16(three 3's) in the second quarter, enroute to a 24 point period and a 35-25 halftime lead. Although the Jags shot 33% (18-54) on the night, their woes at the free throw line continued as they hit only 11 of 26. Whit had a decent overall game with 13 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers. Although she was not credited with assists, she did an excellent job of getting the ball inside, as the Jags post players finally got to play someone their size. Hayley Anderson scored a season high 20 points to go along with 7 boards, while Ashley Greeson added 7 points and 6 rebounds. North Gaston won the rebounding battle 30-23, while turnovers were pretty even with the Wildcats having 21 and the Jags 17. The Jags, now 6-7, play host to South Point on Friday. December 30, 2003 Whit Named to All Tournament Team Whit received a special honor this evening when she was named to the First Charter All Tournament team after the completion of the championship game. She was one of two freshmen named to the team, along with long time AAU opponent and friend Kristin Hobbs (Carolina Express) from South Caldwell. Whit averaged 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists through the three games in the tournament. Teammate Hayley Anderson was also named to the team.
December 30, 2003 Jags Lose to Bandys, Finish Fourth in Tournament After Saturday's 27 point drubbing to Bandys, Coach Ken Beaty and assistant Kevin Gurganus came up with a different game plan and almost pulled off the victory. Bandys won the game 54-45, but the Jags made them work for everything and showed some pride in playing a much closer game. Two days ago, Bandys jumped to a 19-5 first quarter lead, but the Lady Jags were determined to get off to a better start. A tenacious pressing defense forced Bandys into 7 first quarter turnovers and the Lady Jags trailed 11-10 after the first 8 minutes. The Jags went cold in the second quarter though, connecting on only 2 of 10 from the floor and 1 of 7 from the free throw line and found themselves down 27-15 at halftime. Whit scored 14 of her game high 18 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter to help the Jags stay close. She also pulled down 7 rebounds, handed out 4 assists with a steal and 5 turnovers. She may have been most proud of her blocked shot though (second of the season). Another key to them staying in the game was their defense forced Bandys into 22 turnovers and the rebounding edge for Bandys was cut to two at 33-31 after they outrebounded Forestview by 9 two days ago. Additionally the Jags got to the free throw line 23 times as compared to 7 on Saturday, but could only convert 10 of the 23. The Jags are shooting a miserable 49% from the line as a team. Teammate Amanda Ballard had a season high 7 rebounds for the Jags. The Jags, now 6-6, resume conference play on Tuesday when they travel to North Gaston. December 29, 2003 Lady Jags Turn Back East Lincoln For the second time in ten days, the Lady Jags defeated East Lincoln, this time in the second round of the First Charter Christmas Tournament. Whit had a game high 14 points to go along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to lead the Jags to the 44-36 victory. She did however commit 6 turnovers. Forestview actually only won one quarter of the game, but it was enough to seal the win. The Jags started slow, trailing 20-16 at halftime, committing 13 first half turnovers. The third quarter was pivotal though, as the Jags outscored the Mustangs 19-6 on 9-17 shooting. Sierra Tyler had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the quarter. she finished the game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. The Jags were 18-46 (39%) from the floor and outrebounded East Lincoln 29-23. Forestview, now 6-5, will play Bandys tomorrow in a rematch of Saturday's game, for third place in the tournament. December 27, 2003 Jags Crushed by Bandys 60-33 Bandys opened the game with a 19-5 first quarter and never looked back as they dominated the Lady Jags 60-33 in the first round of the First Charter Christmas Tournament, hosted by East Lincoln. Bandys shot 50% from the field in the first half and completely dominated the paint on both ends, winning the battle of the boards 32-23 and grabbing 17 offensive rebounds in the process. Another factor was Bandys taking care of the ball, committing only 14 turnovers compared to Forestview's 22. The Jags were just unable to combat what Bandys brought to the table. Forestview shot 14-49 (29%) from the floor, but only got to the line 7 times. Whitney scored 8 points, to go along with 5 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers. She did not get a rebound. Forestview is now 5-5 on the season and will play conference foe East Lincoln on Monday. December 19, 2003 Whit and Sierra Pace Jags In Victory Whit scored 10 of her game high 22 points in the fourth quarter and teammate Sierra Tyler hit 6 free throws down the stretch as the Lady Jags defeated East Lincoln 56-44 at home tonight. The victory gives the Jags a 5-4 overall record and 2-0 conference record. Whit was 8-13 from the floor, including 3-3 from the arc, to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. One disappointing number was her 8 turnovers though, as the Jags committed 21 on the night. Part of her miscues are assuming teammates are going to cut when they don't and this is something Whit has to improve upon. Pleasantly enough though, she is averaging just over three turnovers a game. This game was close most of the way, but the Jags used a stifling defense to force East Lincoln into a 2-12 third quarter shooting performance. Forestview went on a 8-2 run over the last 3:30 of the quarter to take a 37-30 lead going into the final eight. Forestview scored a fourth quarter season high 19 points to seal the victory. Tyler added 8 points , 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Ashley Armstrong had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Hayley Anderson chipped in with 9 points and 6 boards. The Jags won the battle of the boards 31-30, despite giving up 14 offensive rebounds. Forestview shot a season high 44% from the field on 20 of 45 shooting. They next play Saturday against Bandys in the first round of a Christmas tournament hosted by East Lincoln. December 16, 2003 Jags Win Despite Poor Second Half The Lady Jags got back in the win column, despite a poor second half effort, as they beat Berry Academy 54-24 in their conference opener. Forestview looked like they were going to put four good quarters together, something they have done only once this season, as they jumped to a 40-11 halftime lead. The Jags ran at will and shot 15-32 (46.9%) in the first two quarters, while forcing Berry into 16 first half turnovers. The second half was a disappointment though, as both the offense and defense looked lethargic. The Jags managed but 21 shots in the second half and only forced 4 turnovers. Whit had a solid game all around, connecting on 4-7 from the floor and 1-2 from the line for 9 points, 8 assists, 4 steals, 1 rebound and 4 turnovers. This may have been the first game she has ever played where she did not take a shot outside of the lane. Ashley Greeson pulled down 9 rebounds to lead the Jags as they dominated their much smaller opponents on the boards 39-18, with 16 of those being offensive boards. Forestview did however, give up 9 offensive rebounds. Caitlyn Clement added 6 rebounds in limited playing time. The Jags finished the night 22-53(41.5%) from the field and 9-17 from the free throw line, while committing 19 turnovers. The Jags, now 4-4 next game is Friday when they play host to East Lincoln. December 12, 2003 Jags Revert to Old Ways in Loss to Bessemer City For Jag fans who have watched the last two games, tonight's game had to make you feel a little ill. The up tempo game was a distant memory and just one week after dismantling the BC offense, Forestview fell to Bessemer City 35-34 on a free throw after time expired. With the score tied and less than a minute remaining, BC held for the final shot, missing a fifteen footer from the corner, but grabbing the offensive rebound and were fouled as time expired. The Jags started well, jumping out 11-4 after eight minutes, but were non-existent after that, as well as the running game. Forestview still managed 50 field goal attempts (averaging 53 per game), but 16 came in the first quarter and they shot only 26% from the field on the night. Add to that another lackluster defensive effort and the Jags are now 3-4 on the young season, with conference play beginning next Tuesday. Bessemer City shot 14-42 (33%) from the floor and won the boards 31-23. Forestview has now lost the battle of the boards in 5 of 7 games including the last 4 straight and have outshot their opponents only once. Whit finished with 7 points on 3-16 shooting, with 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal and 0 turnovers. Three other players scored 6 points. Caitlyn Clement and Ashley Greeson had five rebounds each to lead the Jags. The Jags must run in order to get higher percentage shots and establish some tempo in the game. Hopefully everyone will be back to 100% next week as conference play begins. December 11, 2003 Jags Look Good, Still Lose Close One to RS-Central It was a little bit of sickness and a whole lot of RS-Central size that sent the Jags to their third loss of the season, as they fell to RS-Central 55-47 for the second time in eight days. The Lady Jags looked much better this time around, with their up tempo style starting to take hold. Forestview trailed just 27-25 at halftime as Whitney scored 14 of her game high 20 points in the first half, hitting an array of off balance shots against a tough man to man defense. But a flu/cold virus that has had all eight players down for about a week, caught up with them in the second half, as the Lady Hilltoppers outscored the Jags 13-4 in the period to seal the win. Whit missed the first three and a half minutes of the third after getting sick in the locker room, but the Jags were still in the game. RS-Central which dominated the boards 34-20 a week ago, was losing that battle at halftime 13-12, as they couldn't slow down the fast paced Jags who were 9-21 in the first half(43%). The visitors took control of the boards in the second half and pounded the ball inside against the smaller Jags who were helpless on defense. Added to that, was the Jags did not run in the third and went 2-10 from the field. Forestview attempted to make a run in the final eight minutes and got back into their running game, going 7-21 in the fourth. They forgot to play defense though, allowing RS Central to go 5-7 from the field and 5-12 from the free throw line. Another factor was the Jags going 7-24 from the free throw line, their worst effort of the season. They are now 49.6% on the season. Whit finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers on 8-17 shooting from the floor. The Jags shot 34.6% from the field and are shooting 37.5% over the last two games since implementing the up tempo style. The first four games saw them shoot 23.1%. Central won the battle of the boards 35-29, including 15-5 in the decisive third quarter. They had 18 turnovers compared to the Jags 16. Forestview now averages 17.5 turnovers a game. Ashley Armstrong added 13 points and Ashley Greeson 7 points and 9 rebounds for the 3-3 Jags who play host to Bessemer City on Friday.
December 5, 2003 Jags Come Alive in Win Over Bessemer City For the first time all season the Jags put it together for four quarters, as they easily handled previously unbeaten Bessemer City 59-35. The ladies are now 3-2 on the young season, but more importantly, may have found an identity. After a lifeless effort two nights ago and early season struggles with the half court offense, Coaches Beaty and Gurganus instilled a more up tempo approach and the girls responded nicely. Although the Jags officially had almost identical field goal attempts as the last two games, a higher percentage of tonight's attempts were layups. This provided their best shooting performance of the season at 21-52 (40.4%). Prior to tonight they had shot no better than 27% in their previous four games. The Jags were once again successful in getting to the free throw line with 27 attempts, but could only convert 15. As a team they are now 54.6% on the season. Whit had a nice all around game, finishing with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 turnovers. She scored 13 of her points in the second half. Sierra Tyler and Ashley Armstrong added 10 apiece, followed by Haley Anderson and Ashley Greeson with 8 each. There were also two firsts this season with the Jags outscoring their opponents in every quarter and scoring in double figures each quarter. December 4, 2003 Lifeless Jags Fall to RS-Central The Lady Jags basically slept through the first three quarters and shot a dismal 19% from the field, as they lost to RS-Central 47-34 to even their record at 2-2. Forestview could manage but 19 points through the first three quarters and at times looked disinterested. The bigger Lady Hilltoppers completely controlled the boards, converting 6 of their 10 offensive rebounds into baskets and outrebounding the Jags 34-20. The Jags found themselves down 25-10 at halftime before going on a 9-4 run to cut the lead to 29-19 with 3:50 remaining in the third. The Hilltoppers scored 12 straight to end the quarter and held a commanding 41-19 lead going into the final 8 minutes. Forestview gave up the first basket in the fourth, then went on a 15-0 run of their own to get to 43-34 with 1:40 remaining before bowing out. Whit finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist, but had 7 turnovers. In her defense, a few of them came in the first half trying to get the team jump-started, but clearly this is too many . The Jags will have to pick up the pace on offense or this could be a long season. Twenty of their fifty-three field goal attempts came in the fourth quarter, but too deep of a hole had been dug by that time. Another sore spot was the free throw line, where Forestview connected on only 11 of 24. As a team they are shooting 54% for the season from the line but have taken 70 attempts compared to opponents 31. November 25, 2003 Whit's 3rd Quarter, Rebounding Spur Jags Victory Whit scored 10 of her game high 15 points in the third quarter to break open a close game and help lead the Jags to a 38-33 win over North Lincoln. Forestview is now 2-1 on the season. Whit hit a pair of threes, a left-handed layup in traffic and two free throws over the last four minutes of the period to give the Jags a 31-21 lead going into the final eight minutes. The Jags would go 0-10 from the floor in the fourth, but held on by hitting 7-13 from the charity strip. Whit hit 3 of 4 in the last minute to help seal the win. A big difference in tonight's game was the defensive intensity applied by the Jags and a 36-19 rebounding edge, lead by Hayley Anderson with 12 and Sierra Tyler with 8. The Jags also had 17 steals on the evening, converting about half into baskets. Whit finished 4-16 from the floor (2-7 from three point range), and 5-6 from the line for 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 4 deflections and 3 turnovers. The Jags were 12-53 (22.6%) from the floor and 12-21 (57%) from the line, while committing 20 turnovers. North Lincoln was 14-45 (31.1%) from the floor, but had 21 turnovers. November 21, 2003 Jags Lose to Weddington 46-26 The Weddington Warriors used a distinct size advantage to get inside and easily handled a lackluster Jags defense to hand the Lady Jags their first loss of the season. The Jags actually jumped out to a 12-8 lead as Whit hit a fifteen footer to begin the game and Ashley Armstrong hit a pair of threes in the first few minutes. But Whit wouldn't hit another shot the rest of the way, enroute to a 1-11 shooting performance. The Warriors scored 21 unanswered points going deep into the second quarter to take a 29-12 lead and never looked back. Forestview could manage but 3 points in the second quarter and 2 in the third, shooting 1-9 from the floor both quarters. Weddington meanwhile, completely controlled the boards, outrebounding the Jags 29-15. The Jags finished the night 10-37 (27%), but turned the ball over 21 times as compared to 10 on opening night. Weddington extended their zone defense out to the perimeter and challenged most of the Jags shots. Weddington finished 17-45 (38%) from the floor and 9-15 from the line, with 14 turnovers. Whit finished 1-11 from the filed and 2-2 from the line for 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 turnovers. The Jags 37 field goal attempts are a far cry from the 73 they got up on opening night and somewhat a result of the increase in turnovers. But clearly their unwillingness to push the ball up the floor caused them scoring difficulties. The ladies play again on Tuesday night when they travel to North Lincoln in a rematch of opening night.
November 19, 2003 Whitney, Jags, Win Season Opener Whitney opened her high school career tonight and helped lead her Forestview Jaguars to a 50-34 win over North Lincoln High. It not only marked Whit's debut, but also the debut of head coach Ken Beaty. The Jags got off to a slow start from the field, shooting a dismal 5-33 in the first half, to take a 16-15 lead at the intermission. Whit had a difficult time getting on track shooting wise, as she was 2-13 in the first half. Whit hit a long three as the third quarter buzzer sounded to give the Jags a 35-25 lead going into the final eight minutes. She scored 7 of her 14 points in the third quarter. The Jags scored more points (19), in the third quarter than they did the entire first half. Whit added one more three in the early stages of the final quarter and the Jags pulled away easily. Whit finished the night 5-22(three treys) from the floor and 1-2 from the line to go along with 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. She also drew one charge foul, while turning the ball over 3 times. As a team, the Jags were 18-73 (24.6%) from the floor, and 11-19 (58%) from the line. They outrebounded North Lincoln 31-27, had 10 assists to their 4, and only committed 10 turnovers as compared to 24 for their opponent. The Jags take on Weddington at home on Friday.
November 12, 2003 School Season Close to Beginning The prep season is less than three weeks away and Whit wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of her friends and AAU teammates good luck in their upcoming seasons. We have now posted Whit's school (Forestview) schedule on the school ball link, under BBall info. We want to invite everyone out to a game, so give us a call if you will be in the area. The Lady Jags roster will be posted as soon as it is released also.
May 21, 2003 Whitney Receives School MVP Honors For the second year in a row, Whitney was named her school Most Valuable Player at the annual sports banquet held earlier this week. Whit capped off a very successful middle school career by leading Cramerton to the Gaston County Championship this past March. Her combined two year middle school record is 20-3. No other county school won more than 14 games during the same period. Whit finished second in scoring this season, after leading the team last year. However, anyone who saw her play, knows her importance to the team was far more than scoring. For two years she has controlled tempo and helped her teammates to reach their highest level of play. Her ability to see the floor and get her team easy shots, was a big part of her school's success. Her defensive play has been stellar at the same time, particularly in her first year against Chavis, when she shut down their leading scorer in the second half, enabling the Eagles to end Chavis two year plus, home winning streak. Whitney would like to thank all of her former teammates, each of which played a role in her getting this honor. A special thanks goes out to Coach Kevin Gurganus, who had the foresight to let Whit "be a coach on the floor". Gurganus, who coached the Eagles to a 24-9 record the past three seasons, recently accepted a coaching and teaching position at Forestview High School, where Whit will attend.
May 19, 2003
Fire Finish 2nd In State Tournament
May 4, 2003
Fire Capture CiCi's Classic
April 27, 2003
Fire Win Concord Spring Fling The Fire ladies had another successful weekend, averaging nearly 75
points a game and capping the weekend off with an exciting 58-53 win over
the Hickory Hurricanes for the tournament championship. The ladies won six
games overall and now sport a 21-2 record.
April 13, 2003
Fire Finish 2nd In Shooting Stars Classic Whitney was 3-5 from the line, now 20-28 on the
season for 71%, hit two threes and once again drew two charge fouls.
April 6, 2003 Fire Win Regional Championship The Fire improved to 11-1 on the season, winning all three of their games and capturing the South Central Regional Championship this weekend. The Fire defeated the K-Town Warriors in a run away on Saturday to get into the semi-finals. Sunday's semis were more of the same, as the Fire turned a 31-25 halftime lead into a 76-43 victory, behind some fierce defensive pressure. The finals saw the Fire jump to a 19-0 lead on the Carolina Angels, enroute to a 55-35 win. Whitney had a solid all around weekend, hitting two threes, drawing two charge fouls and going 5-6 from the free throw line. She is now 17-23 (74%) from the line on the year.
March 24, 2003 Fire Capture Georgia Magic Championship The Fire traveled to Atlanta this past weekend and came away with the championship of the Georgia Magic Tournament. The ladies went 4-1 over the weekend, including a thrilling triple overtime win over the Orlando Comets, who finished 7th in the nation last year. The weekend started with an easy 52-29 win over the Georgia Lady Eagles, in a game that was never close. The Fire then suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Atlanta Cagers, 51-45. The Fire had beaten the Cagers in the fall by 12 points, but the Cagers were up to the task this time around. In their final pool play game, the Fire defeated the Orlando Comets 75-71 in triple overtime, in the most exciting game of the tournament. The Comets jumped out to a 15-2 lead, but the Fire reserves outscored the Comets 15-1 during the last eight minutes of the first half to take a 17-16 lead at intermission. The game remained close throughout the second half and the Fire seemingly had the game won in the first overtime, but a Comet player hit a desperation three at the buzzer to send the game into another extra period. Both teams played this game with "national tournament" intensity, a factor which helped the Fire during the semi-finals and finals. The semis saw the Fire defeat a well coached Tennessee Liberty team 44-39. Whit hit two free throws with 1:04 remaining and a short jumper inside of :30 to help seal the win. Clearly this Liberty team is a team to be reckoned with, as they were the most fundamentally sound team in our age group. The championship game pitted the Fire against the Orlando Lightning. The Lightning had defeated the Atlanta Cagers 91-85 in double overtime in the other semi-final. The Fire jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in this one, but the Lightning wouldn't roll over. The game stayed in the six to eight point range most of the way, but in the end the Fire prevailed 72-59. The Fire now 8-1 on the season will play next in the South Central Regional Tournament on April 4-6. Whitney had four three pointers and was 7-11 from the free throw line during the tournament.
March 18, 2003 Happy Birthday Whitney!!!!!! Fire Sweep First Tournament Whitney's AAU team, the Charlotte Fire, opened their season by winning the Concord March Mania Championship this past weekend. The Fire played up in age group (14's), but were never seriously challenged. The team went 4-0, averaging 73 points a game, while giving up just 26. Overall, Whit had a good weekend individually, as she continues to acclimate herself to the point guard position at the AAU level. Whit hit six three pointers for the tournament, while going 5-6 from the free throw line, drawing one charge foul and committing four turnovers. The Fire next play this coming weekend in Atlanta.
March 13, 2003 Fire To Open Season In Concord The Charlotte Fire will open their spring season this weekend in Concord, NC, playing as 14's, in the March Mania Tournament. The Fire will play four games in the round-robin event, beginning Friday night at 9pm against the Chatham County Wildcats. On Saturday, they will play the Stanly County Slammers at 9:30 am, and the K-Town Warriors at 2:00 pm, followed by a Sunday morning game against the Tarheel Twisters at 9:30. All games will be played at the Hartsell Recreation Center in Concord. Results will be posted here and on the Fire website.
March 5, 2003 Eagles Put Clamps on Hawks To Win County Championship!!! One thing Whitney firmly believes, is that defense and rebounding win basketball games. That belief proved itself earlier today, as the Lady Eagles defeated previously unbeaten Mount Holly, 40-35, for the Gaston County Girls Middle School Championship. With :16.3 seconds remaining and the Eagles up 37-35, Whitney forced C.C. Brooks into an unforced turnover as she dribbled the ball off her knee trying to drive baseline on Whit. Those of you that know her best, know that Whit had one foot out of bounds and the Hawk star had no where to go. Whitney capped off the championship victory by hitting a left-handed layup and getting fouled with :09 to go. She sank the free throw to give the Eagles their margin of victory. The game was close the entire way, with the Hawks holding a small lead throughout the first half. Cramerton stayed in the game, by breaking the Hawk press and attacking the basket. Although they converted few layups early, they did manage to get to the free throw line. Despite being 3-17 from the floor at halftime, the Eagles were 9-13 from the free throw line and only trailed 21-17 at intermission. Another factor which kept the Eagles close, was their tenacious defense. Coach Kevin Gurganus employed a 1-3-1 zone and a half-court trap, which completely kept the Hawk offense off guard. The Hawk guards were rattled throughout the entire game, turning the ball over 18 times. Meanwhile, when they got a look at the basket, it was always contested. The Eagles defense turned it up another notch in the second half and especially in the fourth quarter, when the Hawks shot a horrendous 1-9 from the floor. Cramerton, meanwhile, went 8-13 from the field and 5-8 from the line in the second half. Although Cramerton finished with 20 turnovers, many of those were attacking the basket and did not result in Hawk points. Whitney finished with 12 points, 2 assists , 1 steal and 2 turnovers. The turnover factor was big, as Whit took extremely good care of the ball, despite pressure from the Hawk guards the entire game. The Hawks seemed intent on taking the ball out of Whit's hands, but Gurganus foiled that strategy by letting the other guards help bring the ball up. Mount Holly had no answer. Clearly this was not the same Eagle team that had lost to the Hawks earlier in the year. With the Eagles taking better care of the ball against the press, the Mount Holly offense was rendered quite ineffective. Brooks tried amply to keep the Hawks in the game, but had little help from her teammates, as the home team folded under pressure. Jasmine Camp led the Eagles with 15 points, 2 steals, 1 assist and 8 turnovers, but was also instrumental on applying defensive pressure on the perimeter. Her long arms made passing difficult for the Hawks guards. Cramerton also outrebounded the Hawks 27-19. The Eagles finish the season at 11-1, but more importantly, they won when it mattered most. Gurganus, now 24-9 in three years, should also be credited with two motivational tactics during the past two days. At Tuesday's practice, he put the score up of the previous loss to Mount Holly and the girls had to practice with it on the clock. Today was the real gem though, when he had a dozen of dead, purple (Eagle color) roses delivered to the school addressed to the girls basketball team. The girls assumed they were from the Mount Holly group. A card was attached which basically said, "Hope the flowers make your day of defeat go a little easier." The Eagles were livid by the time they reached the gym and they would not be denied.
March 3, 2003 Eagles Advance To County Championship Game The Southwest Roadrunners came into today's semi-final game against the Lady Eagles with one thought in mind...take the ball out of Whitney's hands. They employed a box and one defense on Whit the entire game, but they forgot one very important fact...the Eagles are not a one person team. Three Eagles scored in double figures, and they ran their half court offense to perfection, as they defeated Southwest 39-29 to advance to the Gaston County Middle School Championship game on Wednesday against Mount Holly. Despite the box and one, Whit scored 10 points(6-6 from the line), to go along with 5 assists and 4 steals. She also drew two charge fouls on Southwest guard Paquita Wingate. Wingate finished with 19 points, but gave most of those back as she committed 13 of the Roadrunner 19 turnovers. Jasmine Camp led the Eagles with 12 points, while Brittney King added 10, followed by Caitlyn clement with 4 and Brittany Walker with 3. The game started close, tied 7-7 after the first period, as the Eagles missed several chip shots early on. Things picked up a little in the second quarter, but Cramerton managed only a 19-17 lead at the intermission. Eagles Coach Kevin Gurganus switched defenses at halftime and from that point on, the Roadrunner attack was stifled. The Eagles shot 33% from the floor (14-42), but they slowed their offense down to take advantage of the Roadrunners "trick" defense. The Eagles maintained a 7 to 10 point lead the rest of the way, with Whitney hitting four consecutive free throws in the final :35 to seal the victory. Whitney finished 6-6 from the line on the day, while committing 4 of the 13 Eagle turnovers. As it worked out, with the Mount Holly win, this was Whit's last home game for the Eagles, finishing her career with a 11-1 home record. Game time and location has yet to be determined for the title game. The Eagles played their worst game in two years in the prior meeting with Mount Holly, and fully expect a better performance this time out.
February 28, 2003 Eagles to Host Southwest in County Semi-Finals The Lady Eagles will make their second consecutive trip to the Gaston County Middle School County Championship tournament when they play host to Southwest on Monday at 4pm. The Eagles defeated the Roadrunners 36-32 early in the season, but Southwest has won seven of their last eight since that time to finish at 7-3. Mount Holly, which finished a perfect 10-0, will play host to W.C. Friday, who also finished at 7-3. The Eagles played poorly in the first meeting between these teams, shooting a dismal 13-62 from the floor. It was reserve forward Chrissie Buie, who came up with two baskets in the final minutes to seal the Eagle victory. Whitney and backcourt mate Jasmine Camp shot a combined 7-34 from the field, their poorest combined outing of the year. However, the Eagles were able to take care of the ball, turning the ball over only six times, while forcing Southwest into 26 miscues. Clearly, Southwest will come in with a great deal of confidence, but the Eagles should play a better game being on their home floor. Cramerton has not lost a regular season home game in Whitney's two years of middle school, and Eagle coach Kevin Gurganus is 12-3 at home during his three year tenure. The last home loss came in the first round of last year's playoff, as the Eagles were upset by Grier.
February 25, 2003 Whitney Picks Stanley Apart as Eagles Finish 9-1 For the second consecutive year, Whitney picked apart the Stanley "defense" with assassin like passing, and led the Eagles to an easy 48-31 victory. It also marked the second year in a row the Eagles have finished the regular season at 9-1 and the second straight year of going undefeated at home, through the regular season. Whitney finished with 12 points, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds, going 5-13 from the floor and 2-3 from three point range. She also had five other passes for layups which weren't converted, that could have been assists and 4 turnovers. Jasmine Camp, who led the way with 17 points, was the recipient of many of those assists, as she and Whit got the transition game going again. Camp finished 8-16, with 5 assists and 4 turnovers. The Eagles jumped all over the Blue Devils early, connecting on 9-18 from the floor, including three three-pointers in the first quarter, to lead 21-3 after the first six minutes. Eagle Coach Kevin Gurganus substituted freely in the second, but the Eagle reserves were not up to the task and Stanley cut the lead to 31-22 with 1:35 remaining in the half. Whit took over from there, picking up a basket, a blocked shot and two assists, to help push the lead to 37-22 at the intermission. The deficit stayed in the 12-15 point range the rest of the way, as the Eagles ended the regular season on a high note. Cramerton was 22-52 from the field (42%), with 17 assists and 14 turnovers. They also outrebounded Stanley 29-15. Gurganus, finishing his third season as head coach, is now 22-9 overall. The Eagles will play a home playoff game this coming Monday, against either Friday or Southwest. Game time has not yet been announced.
February 24, 2003 Eagles Rebound With Convincing Win After playing their worst game in two years, the Lady Eagles got back on track with an easy 44-17 victory over Grier. Caitlyn Clement scored a career high 14 points to pace the way for the Eagles. Whit had another sound floor game, with 8 points, 8 assists, 4 steals and 2 rebounds. Whit took only six shots, but was instrumental in getting the Eagles high percentage shots the entire game. Jasmine Camp added 14 points for Cramerton. The Eagles connected on 16-43 from the field and had assists on 15 of their 16 field goals. They were killed on the boards 28-15, but Grier was unable to take advantage of offensive rebounds, shooting just 7-44 from the floor. The Eagles led 12-0 after the first six minutes and 21-3 at intermission to put the game away. Cramerton, now 8-1, will close the regular season at home against Stanley on Tuesday. Grier is now 5-3.
February 20, 2003 Lifeless Eagles Fall Into Second Place The Lady Eagles picked the wrong day to have their worst game of the season, as they dropped a 38-19 decision to the Mount Holly Hawks, in a battle of previously unbeaten teams. The win all but assures the Hawks(7-0) of the regular season conference championship. The Eagles now 7-1, play host to Grier and Stanley in their final two regular season games. Turnovers were a major reason for today's loss, as the Eagles committed a season high 30. The Hawks deserve a lot of credit for taking away the passing lanes and forcing many of those. Mount Holly shot 16-34 from the floor, 14 of those layups. Cramerton shot poorly from the floor at 7-37, but more importantly failed to capitalize when they had open layups. The Eagles dominated the boards 27-14 but to no avail. Whit clearly had a subpar game, by her own standards, on 3-12 shooting, 2-2 from the line, 2 assists, 2 rebounds and 9 points. The key for the Eagles is to now rebound and close out the season with two wins to assure themselves of home court in the first round. February 19, 2003 Balanced Attack Keeps Eagles Unbeaten The Eagles overcame a horrid shooting performance and a lifeless defensive effort overall, but still managed to remain unbeaten with a 41-30 win over Bessemer City. The Eagles are now 7-0 and will play at Mount Holly tomorrow. As of this writing, Mount Holly is unbeaten at 6-0. Whit had another excellent floor game with 9 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 0 turnovers. She was a miserable 5-10 from the free throw line and 2-8 from the field, but still kept the Bessemer City squad at bay with some sharp passing. The Eagles were 4-15 from the floor in the first quarter, missing 9 uncontested layups, as the Eagles inside people continuously beat their opponents down court. The shooting nightmare continued through the second period, when the Eagles went 2-18. Bessemer City had 7 second quarter turnovers though, and the Eagles lead 15-11 at the intermission. Thing picked up in the third, with Cramerton connecting on 7-15 from the field and 2-3 from the line to put the game away. The Eagles were 16-61 for the game, but only turned the ball over a season low 4 times. Bessemer City committed 14 turnovers, but shot 14-37 from the floor to stay in the game early. The Eagles had the rebounding edge 26-16, with half of those being offensive rebounds. The Eagles have now won 16 consecutive regular season games.
February 13, 2003 Eagles Soar Over Winless Belmont The Eagles continued their winning ways, behind Whitney's 11 points and 3 assists, as they beat Belmont 30-10 to improve to 6-0. Cramerton jumped to a quick 8-1 lead on a bucket and two free throws from Caitlyn Clement and baskets from Brittney King and Brittany Walker. The Eagles "man-to-man" defense was too much for Belmont, as they committed 10 first quarter turnovers. The Eagles went to a 2-3 zone the rest of the way and cruised to another win. Belmont was held scoreless from the 3:35 mark of the second quarter until the 1:30 mark of the final quarter. Cramerton connected on 11-42 field goals and 7-13 free throws. They also committed 16 turnovers, with 7 of those coming in the final three minutes. Belmont was a dismal 2-29 from the floor while also turning the ball over 25 times. Whitney was 4-12 from the floor and 3-6 from the line (16-25 on the year) with no turnovers, and one steal, while forcing three turnovers. Whit sat all but :55 seconds of the fourth quarter, as Coach Kevin Gurganus once again played his bench freely. Jasmine Camp and Brittney King added 7 and 6 points respectively for the Eagles. Cramerton travels to Bessemer City on Monday.
February 10, 2003 Whitney scored 8 first quarter points as the Eagles jumped to a 12-1 lead after six minutes and never looked back. Whit hit a three from the key just seconds into the game to get things started, then hit a driving layup and another three as the first quarter ended. The Eagles pressure defense was too much for Chavis as they extended their lead to 23-8 at intermission. Whit finished the game with 15 points on 4-7 from the field, including 3-4 from three point range, and 4-6 from the line. She added 5 assists and 3 steals, while committing 2 turnovers. Whit is now 13-19 from the charity strip on the year. Jasmine Camp led all scorers with 16, on 7-13 shooting, with 1 assist and 3 turnovers. The Eagles were outrebounded 23-16, but shot 44% from the field on 18-41 field goal attempts. Even more impressive was their 16 assists as a team. The Eagles did turn the ball over 14 times, while forcing 23 Chavis turnovers. Brittney King and Brittany Walker were stellar on defense for the Eagles. The Eagles are now 5-0 at the midway point and travel to Belmont on Thursday. Eagles Coach, Kevin Gurganus is now 18-8 as a head coach, including 18-2 over his last twenty games.
February 6, 2003 Whitney & Camp Lead Eagles Past Friday Whitney and backcourt mate Jasmine Camp got the transition game going early, as they lead the Eagles to a 37-26 win over Friday. Whitney found Camp early in the game for break away layups as the Lady Eagles easily outran their opponents down the floor. The Eagles led 10-4 after the first quarter, but the Cavaliers were kept in the game by Olivia Reid. Reid finished the game with 16 points on 6-17 from the floor, but had little help from anyone else. The Lady Eagles once again did an excellent job taking care of the ball, with only 13 turnovers. Whitney finished the game with 11 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. She did however, commit 4 turnovers. It was her overall floor play that kept Friday at bay though, as she broke down the Friday defense at will. Camp led the Eagles in scoring with 16, with 10 of those coming on passes from Whitney. Cramerton was 14-43 from the field and outrebounded Friday 26-17, while forcing them into 19 turnovers. The closest Friday could come in the second half was 26-21 with 2:25 left in the third quarter. The visitors shot only 8-37 from the field though and could not convert any Eagle turnovers into points. The Eagles are now 4-0 on the season, while Friday drops to 3-2. Cramerton will play host to Chavis on Monday.
February 2, 2003 Eagles Route Holbrook; Improve to 3-0 The Lady Eagles used a 12-0 run to start the game, and never looked back, as they cruised to a 50-9 win over Holbrook. The game was never in doubt, as Eagle coach Kevin Gurganus was able to substitute often and early. Nine different players scored for Cramerton as they shot 24-61 from the field. Whitney had an outstanding floor game, with 7 assists, 5 steals and 10 points, on 5-10 shooting. She committed two of the Eagle 12 turnovers. She also took another charge foul, while playing just 13 minutes. The Eagles got out in transition early, with Whit connecting on several long passes which negated the Holbrook attempt at a press. Jasmine Camp scored 13 points on 6-15 shooting and 1-2 from the line in 17 minutes. Camp was able to capitalize on Whit's court awareness, by leaking out and getting wide open layups. The duo hooked up on five of Camp's six field goals. Holbrook committed 34 turnovers, while managing just 13 shot attempts. Cramerton also out rebounded the Lions 20-9. The Eagles play host to W.C. Friday on Thursday. January 30, 2003 Eagles Escape With 36-32 Victory Despite a horrendous shooting performance, the Lady Eagles got two clutch baskets from reserve forward Chrissie Buie in the final 1:20 and two free throws from Jasmine Camp with :08 to go, as they defeated Southwest 36-32 earlier today. The Eagles are now 2-0, while Southwest falls to 0-3. The Lady Eagles shot 13-62 from the floor, as Whitney went 2-16 and Camp 5-18 from the field. However, it was the Eagles ability to take care of the basketball which ultimately sealed this victory. Cramerton committed but six turnovers the entire game, while forcing Southwest into 26. The Eagles led 12-6 after the first period, but still seemed in total control. However, Southwest held the Eagles to 2 points in the second quarter, with Cramerton shooting 1-18 from the field. Southwest stayed in the game with a 14-6 rebounding edge at the intermission. The game stayed close throughout the second half, as the Eagles never got into a shooting rhythm. Whitney broke a 28-28 tie with approximately two minutes to play by hitting two free throws, but it was Buie who came up big in the final minute. She put the Eagles up for good with a rebound basket at the :45 mark .The Eagles got the ball back, up two with :38.4 to go and played keep away until they were fouled with :18.5 to go. Brittney King missed both free throws and in the scramble for the loose ball on the floor, Whit was called for a foul. Southwest missed both shots, before Camp was fouled to seal the win. Whitney played a good overall floor game, despite not having big numbers. The Eagles were never able to get in their transition game, so she was limited to two assists, along with six points. She also took a charge foul and only had one turnover, playing the entire game. She is now 5-5 from the line on the year. Cramerton will travel to Holbrook Monday.
January 27,2003 Whitney Leads Eagles In Opener Whitney scored 13 points, had 4 assists and forced 7 turnovers as she lead the Cramerton Lady Eagles to a season opening win at home. After getting off to a sluggish start, the Lady Eagles picked up the defensive intensity toward the end of the second quarter and coasted to a 42-8 thrashing of York Chester, last year's county champions. Cramerton dominated the offensive boards in the first quarter, but were unable to capitalize, as they converted only 2 of 19 from the field in the first quarter. The shooting picked up in the second (6-22), but it was the defense that turned things Cramerton's way. The Eagles limited York Chester to just 10 shot attempts, while forcing 18 turnovers in the first half. Still the Eagles lead was just 17-6 at the intermission. The third quarter was pivotal though, with the Eagles outscoring their opponent 15-0 and putting the game completely away. Cramerton shot 18-59 from the field and 4-8 from the free throw line for the game. The Lady Eagles won the battle of the boards 34-15, while also forcing 34 turnovers, but committing just 14. Whitney was 5-16 from the field, and 3-3 from the line. Although her percentage was below expectations, she did have seven shots to go in and out. She also committed 3 of the Eagles 14 turnovers. Cramerton next plays Thursday at Southwest.
January 23, 2003 Lady Eagles Picked As Pre-Season Favorite The pre-season predictions are out for the Gaston County Middle Schools and the Lady Eagles were picked by conference coaches to repeat as regular season champions. It should be pointed out that last year the Eagles were picked sixth, before rolling to a 9-1 regular season finish. The season was to open today, but a severe snowstorm in the Gaston County area has postponed the openers. No date has been set yet, as to when the games will be made up. It now appears the Eagles will open at home next Monday against York Chester. Coaches Vote: 1) Cramerton 2) Chavis 3) Stanley 4) | |||||||||
