Lady Titans Dominate CAL
The Harrodsburg Herald/Samuel Warren
Cardin Sickles lines up a three point shot during Mercer County’s 78-54 win over CAL on Monday, Jan. 20. Sickles finished the game with 18 points.
Samuel Warren
Herald Staff
[email protected]
The Mercer County Lady Titans basketball team (5-12) picked up their first win since Dec. 27 on Monday, Jan. 20, when they outclassed the Christian Academy of Louisville Lady Centurions (3-13). Lady Titan Head Coach Chris Souder should have no complaints about his team’s intensity and effort in the opening moments of the game, but rather their execution. Sickles earned a foul under the basket and earned Mercer the first point of the game, but simple mistakes ruined the Lady Titans first quarter. A traveling call on Mercer, and a foul on the defensive end allowed CAL to take a lead, and they never looked back. As the Lady Centurions continued to make shots, Mercer was called for another travel, and then over and back. The Lady Titans turned the ball over eight times in the opening quarter, six of them were called travels.
Despite the sloppy play, when Mercer held possession, they found good shots around the rim. CAL didn’t have anyone physical or long enough to play effective defense on sophomore Izzie Carlton or eighth grader Cardin Sickles. Freshman Alexa Wade blew past the CAL defense and layed it off the glass with seemingly no contest, but she’s just that fast. Carlton made three baskets at the rim and was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line in the first quarter. In the final seconds of the first, Sickles fought for an offensive rebound and was fouled while going back up. She made one shot, but Mercer still trailed 17-13.
“I was pretty upset in the first quarter, but the girls did respond,” said Souder.
Eighth grader Annie Releford began the second quarter with a perfectly lofted pass over a CAL post player, which fell into hands of Carlton for an easy basket. Moments later, Wade slipped a pass to Carlton in the post and she made the shot while being fouled, cutting CAL’s lead to one. With 3:30 left in the first half, Wade swished a long range three, and gave Mercer their first lead, 24-23. Sickles grabbed a rebound and sent a long pass forward to Wade for a layup, and seconds later Wade swatted the ball free and freshman Maddi Baker picked it up on the way to the rim, and finished off of the glass. Kate Carlton drew a foul and made one from the charity stripe. Then it was Emma Fenwick who forced a turnover and drew a foul before making both shots. The Lady Titans had taken over the game, and led 34-30 at halftime.
Sophomore Lizzie Nichols kept Mercer’s momentum going in the second half and swished a corner three to open scoring. The Lady Titans scored on the next three straight possessions and took a commanding 43-30 lead, prompting a CAL timeout. Wade assisted another tough I. Carlton basket at the rim. One possession later, she drew a foul and made both shots. I. Carlton was fouled while shooting three times in the third quarter, and made five foul shots. Her 11-14 shooting from the charity stripe during the game led to a season-high 34 point performance. Next, Baker drew a foul at the rim and made both shots. Wade blew by the Lady Centurion defense for another layup to close out the third quarter, and Mercer led 54-40 after three quarters.
It seemed the Lady Titans had shored up their fifth win of the season, but Mercer stayed on the gas in the fourth quarter. After Nichols nailed her second three, Sickles and I. Carlton took advantage of the Lady Centurions weak post play, and attacked the rim time and time again. The pair combined for 19 points in the final period, and put a stamp on Mercer’s 78-54 win, which is the most points the Lady Titans have scored so far this season.
“We also made an adjustment at halftime defensively that really got us going,” said Souder. “We still have tons of room for improvement but it was great to get a win.”
