Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott Wolverettes Are District Champs

For the fourth year in a row the Prescott Wolverettes are district champs.

It's a pleasant redundancy.

Mena's Lady Bearcats were the latest victim added to Prescott's growing list. The Lady 'Cats were hammered 71-49 in a game not as close as the score would indicate.

For the first three quarters the Wolverettes outscored Mena 2:1 at a 20-10 clip. The game didn't get close until Prescott Coach Bill Cossey called off his charges and cleared the bench in the fourth quarter.

This game was much the same as Prescott's regular season ending visit to Mena, when the Wolverettes mauled their hosts mercilessly 61-35.

The Wolverettes were locked and loaded from the opening tip as Andrea Cossey tipped the ball to Jessica Hendrix, who winged it to Stacy Stockton for two. It was a harbinger of things to come.

Prescott looked like the defending champions as the Wolverettes nailed their first five shots from the field in running out to a 10-6 lead with 3:03 showing.

For the rest of the quarter, the Wolverettes ran Mena ragged to go up 20-10.

On the positive side for the Lady 'Cats, they were in the bonus situation with 1:01 left in the first as the officials called the game close.

Period two began with Prescott picking up where the Wolverettes left off in the first. Their superior speed was more than Mena could handle.

Interestingly, neither team pressed the other as both settled for a half-court game.

The Wolverettes opened the second quarter with a 7-1 run while Mena was ineffective from the field.

There was blood in the eyes of the Prescott players as they smelled their fourth consecutive district title and had no intention of letting it slip through their grasp.

Cossey showed what she was made of by firing away with deadly accuracy, while Traci Graham's fall-away jumper was perfect from 10-feet out time after time.

With 2:41 left in the half, Prescott's lead was 31-14. Halftime arrived with the score being 37-20.

It was a case of same song, second verse as the third quarter got underway. The Wolverettes opened with Cossey busting a deuce, which led to a 7-2 run.

Prescott was nearly flawless offensively, passing the ball with laser precision, finding the open player, who deftly dropped the rock in the hole.

With 4:30 left in the period, the Wolverettes lead was 20 at 46-26, and were showing no signs of letting up.

Prescott forced the pace, playing however they wanted as a team, while Mena, a better team than has showed in the last two meetings, was helpless.

At the 2:27 point of the quarter, Mena trailed 52-28 and was forced to go outside to try and cut the distance.

But, as the frame came to a close Graham picked a pocket and raced in for a layup, while Stockton capped period three with two at the buzzer.

Prescott's lead at the start of the fourth quarter was an even 30 at 60-30.

The game was all over but the final score as the Wolverettes continued to be merciless during the first two minutes of the period - in spite of slowing the pace to a crawl.

Before the game was stopped for a time out, the Wolverettes had added 11 to their total.

However, once the game was halted, Coach Cossey began emptying the bench, getting all the players in to see action in a district tourney final.

Cossey said he was surprised the Wolverettes were able to handle Mena as handily as they have in the last two meetings.

A. Cossey led the Wolverette scoring assault force with a game high 24 points, including a trio of threes. Stockton was next up, contributing 18 to the win, while Graham canned 11. Amanda Hodges, who has done yeoman's work since joining the team in December, scored 10.

Turbufill led the Lady 'Cats with 10.

Neither team had any reason to brag about free throws as Prescott converted 11 of 18, while Mena hit 11 of 21.

"It was a big win," Coach Cossey said. "We shot well and have in the last three games. We played good defense."