Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wolverettes Thrash Mena: Win Conference Title Outright

Prescott's Wolverettes finished the regular season as undisputed conference champs.

They did this with a resounding 61-35 win over the Lady Bearcats at Mena Friday night.

However, the Lady 'Cats did something no other team managed to do this season they held Stacy Stockton below double figures. Stockton finished with eight on the night.

But, in so doing, Mena's girls allowed Traci Graham to run wild.

Andrea Cossey went long to Graham time after time on fast breaks to stun the Lady 'Cats.

The game opened with the conference title on the line. There were several scenarios as to which team would be the number one seed for the district tourney this week, as well as the league champ.

Only one mattered as the Wolverettes had their game faces on from the outset and got down to business from the opening tip.

Mena managed to get the ball first, worked it around the horn patiently, but turned it over.

This was all the Wolverettes needed as they went on a 6-0 run to open things up.

Mena scored its first points at the 5:12 mark of the period. Giving up a point didn't set well with Prescott as the Wolverettes reeled off another six points.

It was obvious Prescott's girls had no intention of losing, or even allowing Mena to make a game of it.

Wolverette players were all over the court on both sides of the ball. The Lady 'Cats, meanwhile, looked to be shell shocked.

Mena's girls tried to widen the gaps on offense to spread Prescott's defense, but the Wolverette speed was more than the Lady 'Cats could handle.

Interestingly, there were no fouls called in the first eight minutes of the contest. Period one ended with Prescott leading 14-4.

The second quarter saw the Wolverettes got seriously ugly to their hosts as the running attack got underway for real.

Cossey hit the first three-pointer she attempted, but shot little from outside.

The Wolverettes were patient in their half-court offense, working the ball to the open player for the best shot. It worked as the team shot 70 percent on the night.

With 5:00 remaining in the half, the Wolverette lead was up to 21-7. Mena's Lady 'Cats were forced to play catchup, a difficult task against Prescott, and fired away from beyond the arc.

Mena's outside shooting resulted in Prescott rebounds and, subsequently, points.

The Wolverette defense had the paint packed tight and allowed no Mena players to trespass on the inside for the majority of the contest.

When Prescott applied full court pressure, Mena was unable to handle it and turned the ball over. Again, this resulted in more points for the Wolverettes on the fast break.

Halftime arrived with Prescott in command 35-10.

The officials made themselves scarce as few fouls were called in the opening half, with both teams being allowed to play.

Mena's situation didn't improve in the third quarter as the Wolverettes picked up where they left off in the first half.

The Prescott defense was unforgiving, while the offense was mercenary. There was no doubt the Wolverettes killer instinct was in full gear.

By the 5:06 mark of the third, the Prescott lead was 43-14, with Cossey on the bench getting a breather.

Solving the riddle of the Sphinx would have been easier for the Lady 'Cats than solving the mystery of the Prescott defense. Nothing Mena tried worked as the Wolverettes had answers to each move Mena made.

Jeana Haynie picked her game up a notch, driving more on the inside than normal.

With 1:28 showing, Prescott's lead was 30 at 52-22. The foul situation was getting critical for Mena, as they were forced to commit offenses against the Wolverettes to slow them down, and stop the clock.

Stopping the clock didn't happen much during the game. With the lack of fouls, for the most part, the game was by far the fastest of the year. It took almost exactly one hour for the Wolverettes to hammer Mena.

By the end of the third period, Mena had managed to commit five fouls, while Prescott had been called for two. The score was 57-22.

Coach Bill Cossey left his starters in long enough to score four points and began clearing the bench five players at a time.

This allowed Mena to score meaningless points as the game wound down.

Still, the bench players played hard and were cheered on by those on the sidelines.

The substitutes did a yeoman's job in working the clock and keeping Mena from doing too much.

They made Mena work for every shot, giving the Lady 'Cats nothing for nothing.

Graham ended the game with 19 points, while Haynie was next in line with 12. Cossey finished the contest in double digits with 10. Stockton and Amanda Hodges scored eight each.

The Wolverettes were three of five at the line, while Mena was four of eight.