Sophomore guard Jada Brown of the LaGrange College women's basketball team tied career highs with six points, five rebounds and three steals during a 54-48 USA South setback to Maryville on Saturday afternoon in Mariotti Gym.
Senior captain and point guard Sadie Desroches chipped in with eight points on 4-for-5 shooting from the floor, to go along with two steals for the Panthers (6-3, 1-2 USA South). LaGrange built a 42-41 lead with 9:25 left in the fourth quarter on a left-wing 3-pointer by junior guard Jahpera McEachin.
The Scots (8-2, 2-0 USA South) scored 13 of the final 19 points. Courtney Carruthers led the way with a game-high 19 points for Maryville.
FIRST-HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
- After falling behind, 11-2, the Panthers ended the first quarter on a 7-0 surge. The run started with a left-of-the-arc 3 by junior forward Adreona Bowen off dribble penetration by Brown.
- With 2:17 left, Brown converted a layup off an outstanding backdoor cut, as Bowen threaded the needle with a top-of-the-key pass. Brown pulled the Panthers to within 11-9 at the end of the first, converting a driving right-side layup with 1:39 on the clock.
- A pull-up, right-side jumper by Brown through contact with 6:02 left in the first half gave LaGrange the lead for the first time at 17-16.
- Desroches made two tremendous plays in the final 3:23 of the second quarter. First, she recorded a defensive steal, and then drilled a pull-up jumper in transition, avoiding the possibility of an offensive foul. With 3:07 on the scoreboard, she finished a layup off a difficult angle, cutting Maryville's lead down to 24-21.
- During the ensuing inbounds pass, McEachin stole the ball and drew a foul, cutting the deficit down to one with two free throws. The Scots led, 27-24, at halftime.
SECOND-HALF HIGHLIGHTS:
- The Scots opened the second half on a 9-2 spurt, building a 36-26 advantage on a layup by Shelby Hix with 5:18 remaining in the third.
- The Panthers ended the third on an 11-3 run, trimming the deficit down to 39-37 heading into the fourth. The surge concluded with a left-wing, 3-point shot by McEachin with one second left off an inbounds pass by junior guard Daijah Cousins.
- A layup by McEachin brought the Panthers to within 48-46 with 4:30 on the clock in the fourth. Desroches kept LaGrange within striking distance with 2:05 left, as she cut the deficit down to 52-48 on a steal and layup.
- A jumper by Carruthers with 38 seconds left extended Maryville's lead to 54-48 and ended the scoring.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Panthers Head Coach Lee Buchanan: "It was a disappointing game on Saturday against Maryville. We did not execute well on the offensive end and missed many opportunities to capitalize on Maryville's mistakes and turnovers. The Scots are a good team and they had some players step up. Unfortunately, we could not find a rhythm on the offensive end. We have a great deal of work to do when the players get back from break. We must keep competing each day in practice, so we can improve in all areas of the game. We have a busy schedule in January, so we have to be ready."
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- McEachin finished with a team-high 13 points, to go along with four rebounds, three steals and two assists.
- Junior forward Charley Amissah-Reyes (7 points, 4 rebounds), Cousins (7 points) and Bowen (3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) shot a combined 7-for-13 from the field.
- The Panthers recorded 14 steals and forced 20 turnovers.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- The Panthers and Scots have met 49 times in the history of the programs, as Maryville leads the all-time series with a 46-3 record.
- LaGrange's last win in the rivalry occurred by a score of 71-59 in Mariotti on Feb. 3, 2019.
- In each of the last four seasons, the two teams have crossed paths during the USA South Tournament.
UP NEXT:
- The Panthers will take on Bridgewater (Va.) for the first time in program history on Monday, Dec. 30, at 5 p.m. in Mariotti.
