Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wolves, Hornets split games as basketball season gets underway

It was literally standing room only when Prescott and Blevins hit the hardwood Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Prescott split a pair against the Hornets, with the Wolves winning and Wolverettes taking it on the chin against an undefeated Lady Hornet squad.

The Wolves posted a 64-38 win over the Hornets, taking the lead in the first quarter and never looking back.

Prescott won the opening tip, took the ball in and scored in the fast-paced, physical contest.

Players from both sides battled after every loose ball and fought to keep their opponent from getting a decent shot at the bucket.

Both squads also looked to and did run at any and every chance.

Blevins was able to keep pace with Prescott early one, tying the score at 4-4 with 5:55 left in the first quarter, only to see the Wolves go on a 5-0 run to make it 9-4 with 4:50 showing.

The Hornets fought back, cutting the lead to 11-8, only to see the Wolves go on a 5-2 run to end the first period leading 16-10.

This was as close as the Hornets would get for the remainder of the game.

The squads swapped buckets early in the second period, with Prescott pulling away midway through the stanza in taking a 25-12 lead.

Halftime arrived with the Wolves holding a 31-20 lead. An interesting side note saw Prescott called for 10 fouls in the first half, while the Hornets were hit with but one foul in 16 minutes.

Blevins got the ball to start the third quarter, lost it with Prescott scoring.

The Wolves's 2-1-2 defense proved to be more than the Hornets could handle throughout the game, while Prescott had little trouble with Blevins's 2-3 zone.

In fact, the Wolves regularly broke the Hornets's defense, getting in for relatively easy baskets.

Throughout the third period the Wolves widened their lead, as Blevins didn't have the horses to keep up with Prescott.

The frame ended with Prescott holding a 47-28 lead. The foul count showed the Wolves with four and Blevins with one.

This changed in the fourth period as the Hornets had little choice but foul to try and get back in the game. But, it was too little, too late as the Wolves were taking no prisoners.

Prescott controlled the pace, slowing the running game down to work time off the clock, but taking open shots.

At the 6:37 point, Prescott led 51-28, building this to a 55-30 lead with 4:25 to go in the game, and adding four more points in the next two minutes, as the Hornets floundered.

In fact, the Wolves got downright Mediaeval on Blevins, beating the Hornets like unruly serfs.

When the buzzer sounded ending the contest, Prescott had secured the win 64-38. The Wolves were called for 18 fouls in the game, while Blevins was hit with five.

WOLVERETTES 37

LADY HORNETS 69

Prescott's Wolverettes had little chance against the undefeated Lady Hornets as they were pounded 69-37.

Blevins simply looked to run up the score and show no mercy on their opponents from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

The Lady Hornets pressed often and were successful in forcing Prescott into turning the ball over because of it.

The Wolverettes won the toss, but Blevins scored first. Prescott's chances were further diminished when Madeline Taylor went down with an ankle injury with 5:15 left in the opening period.

Taylor did return, playing in spots until halftime. She remained on the bench icing her ankle down during the second half.

The Wolverettes were able to play with Blevins early on, as the score was 8-4 when Taylor was injured.

However, Prescott mistakes were turned into points by the Lady Hornets as Blevins went up 28-10 by the end of one.

The pace of the game was frenetic on both sides, as each team raced up and down the court trying to force the other into a mistake.

The Wolverettes were the ones who made the most mistakes, as the Lady Hornets had a veteran crew on the floor.

Prescott's girls tended to take shots not there, and pass the ball instead of taking shots when the opportunity arose.

Blevins didn't. The Lady Hornets were as methodical as a mercenary, scoping out the weakness of their prey then exploiting it.

Halftime arrived with the Lady Hornets leading 39-23.

However, the second half was all Blevins as the Wolverettes could only muster 14 points in the next 16 minutes.

Prescott managed to score to get the third period started, only to see Blevins go on a 7-0 run.

Halfway through the period Blevins was up 47-27 and extended this to 53-29 by the end of three.

Prescott substituted more than Blevins, keeping fresh players on the court and getting younger members of the team game experience.

The Lady Hornets continued to pick Prescott's defense apart, extending the lead to 60-35 with 3:38 left in the game, and ending the contest with a 69-37 win.