Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wolverettes Down Lady Jays

When Prescott's Wolverette basketball team traveled to Nevada High Tuesday, Nov. 24, they got more than they bargained for.

The Lady Bluejays had suffered a loss at the hands of Genoa's Lady Dragons on a road trip, Friday, Nov. 21, and reportedly, Genoa doesn't have much of a team.

This may have led to the Wolverettes being cocky and overconfident.

Nevada, on the other hand, knew what Prescott had and was more than ready.

When the smoke cleared from the battle grounds, the Wolverettes managed to eke out a 54-45 win over the Lady Jays, but trailed throughout the entire first half.

The game opened with a fired up Nevada team hitting the hardwood and jumping all over the Wolverettes. The Lady Jays grabbed the lead early and forced Prescott into taking several ill advised shots.

The Wolverettes helped Nevada by making a number of mental mistakes and dishing the rock off instead of taking shots, or taking shots when they should have passed.

Regardless, Nevada led 13-10 at the end of one.

The second quarter began with an aggressive Lady Jay squad taking the ball to the rack early and often as they built a lead of eight points before Prescott got on track.

As the period progressed, the Wolverettes began finding their range and sinking vital baskets. By halftime, the eight point deficit had been whittled down to three at 29-26.

While the Lady Jays had taken advantage of Prescott mistakes in the first half, there were few made by the Wolverettes in the second half.

When the third quarter began, the real Prescott crew took the floor and began hammering away at the Nevada team.

Andrea Cossey tied the game with a trey with 5:25 to go in the third, and from there it was all Prescott, as Cossey gave the Wolverettes the lead with a two-point shot after missing a three.

Once the lead was in hand, the Wolverettes tuned up the heat and began pressing Nevada, forcing the Lady Jays to make mistakes and turn the ball over.

Still, there was no rolling over and playing dead by the Lady Jays. The Nevada girls fought from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

"We took it too lightly early in the game," Coach Bill Cossey said. "In the third quarter our pressure started working. We have to press because of our size.

"We got the lead and played like we wanted, took our time and pulled away."

Stacy Stockton led the Wolverette attack with 26 points and nine boards. Traci Graham made her presence known with a dozen points and 10 assists, while Cossey added 10 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.

Ramona Evans led the Nevada assault with 20 points, while M. Block had 10.

Overall, the Wolverettes cleaned the glass 51 times.

Neither squad shot well from the charity stripe. Prescott was two of 10, while the Lady Jays converted six of 15.

NEVADA 41

PRESCOTT 25

In junior boys action, the Bluejays feasted on the Curley Cubs 41-25.

The Jays opened hot early, administering the knock out punch in the first period with a 10-0 score.

The Cubs simply couldn't buy a basket in the first period either from the field or stripe.

The Jays, though, came out ready to play and were sinking nearly everything in sight.

As the game progressed to the middle of the second quarter, the Cubs finally scored. In fact, it was the 3:39 mark of the second before Prescott got its first basket. At the half, Nevada held a commanding 19-8 lead.

The situation for the visitors didn't improve in the second half as the Jays continued tormenting the Cubs with their tenacious defense.

At the end of three, Nevada held a 32-12 lead and never looked back. Coach Glyndon Franklin cleaned his benches to get everyone playing time.