Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wolverettes De-Claw Ladycats

By JOHN MILLER

Prescott's girls gave their guttiest performance of the young season as they gained a measure of revenge over the Hope Ladycats, Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The Ladycats embarrassed the Wolverettes in Jones Fieldhouse when the two teams met Nov. 19.

It was payback time when Hope's girls ventured to Prescott.

Though the Ladycats outrebounded the Wolverettes, recorded more steals, had more rebounds and went to the charity stripe more, the Prescott crew showed its heart in posting the 53-52 win.

The Wolverettes opened the contest by taking a 13-9 lead in the first period.

However, Hope was not going to roll over and play dead for its arch rival. In the second quarter, the Ladycats rallied and took a 27-22 lead to the locker room at the half.

Prescott Coach Cecily Butler reminded her team of what had occurred in Hope. This was enough.

The Wolverettes responded to their halftime talk by cutting Hope's lead to 43-41 when the buzzer sounded to end three quarters of the contest.

Still, Melba Hall's Ladycats weren't finished. The Hope five fought, clawed and scratched throughout the final stanza, only to succumb to the unbelievable pressure defense Butler's crew threw at them.

With less than 10 seconds left in the contest, Hope led 52-51. Prescott managed to get the ball, got it in the hands of Jessica Hildebrand, who drove the lane between two Ladycats for the winning layup.

Hildebrand scored 11 points in the war, but returned to the form she showed during the district and regional tournament last season as she took control of the contest in the waning moments of the game.

She drove the lane three straight times, each one between two Hope players, to bring the Wolverettes within one before dropping in the winning basket.

Stacy Stockton led the Wolverettes with 18 points, while Laura Culpepper contributed 12 in the well-deserved victory. Leslie Hines dropped in two long-range missiles, while Gladies Gulley pulled down five boards with two steals. Stockton and Culpepper also had four rebounds, while Hildebrand added four assists to her game stats.

Uncharacteristically, the Wolverettes were pitiful at the free throw line. At times it almost seemed as if someone had put a lid over the basket as the Prescott five only converted three of 13 from the charity stripe.

On the other hand, free throws kept the game close for Hope, as the Ladycats netted 11 of 16.

"Defensive heart won the game," Butler said. "They (Hope) shot more free throws, stole the ball more and rebounded more than us.

"But we shot the ball more and played a better defense. The girls didn't let up from buzzer to buzzer defensively."

Before the game, Stockton had told Butler her goal was to keep her opponent from scoring. Game stats show Stockton's counterpart scored one field goal, and this was when Stockton was on the bench.

The win brings Prescott's record to 2-1 on the young season.

The Wolverettes will venture to Murfreesboro for tournament action tonight, when they tangle with Sparkman at 6 o'clock.

Saturday, Sparkman beat Delight, Hatfield whipped Kirby and Saratoga handled the host team Murfreesboro.

Other teams in the tourney include: Bismarck, Oden, Foreman and Spring Hill.

Should the Wolverettes win tonight, they will play again Thursday at 8:40 p.m. The finals of the Murfreesboro tourney are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.