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Rivercrest splits two with Chapel Hill
By John Toppings
The Paris News
Published January 20, 2008
MOUNT PLEASANT — Susan Smith scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the second half as the Rivercrest Lady Rebels rallied from nine points down to beat the Chapel Hill Lady Red Devils, 44-38, Friday night to move into the thick of the playoff picture in District 15-2A.
The victory moves Rivercrest even with Chapel Hill for third place in the district standings at 6-3.
“If Susan Smith isn’t a first-team all-district I don’t know who is," Rivercrest first-year coach Jim Purivance said. “She was the spark for us and every girl played a vital role."
Rivercrest (14-10, 6-3) was defeated by Chapel Hill at home last month, 55-34. The Lady Rebels wanted to return the favor and they did.
Chapel Hill (18-5, 6-3) had the lead for most of the first half and held a six-point advantage at the break. They scored the first three points of the second half as its lead grew to nine.
Then Smith began to heat up from beyond the three-point arc with three straight 3's to slice the lead down to 26-24.
“My teammates got me open,” Smith said. “We have been practicing hard and it paid off. I still can’t believe it that we won.”
Kayla Birchfield knocked down a pair of free throws to bring the Lady Rebels to within a point heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Smith knotted the score with a free throw and Franny Galyean drilled a 3-pointer to put the Lady Rebels on top to stay with 6:52 left.
Smith connected on a couple of free throws and jumper to conclude a decisive 21-6 stretch increasing the lead to 36-30 with less than five minutes remaining.
Chapel Hill got to within three points on an Alyssa Giddens’ lay up, but they would not get any closer. Giddens finished with a team-high 11 points.
“That was the hardest game the girls have played,” Purivance said. “They left everything out there. It was a team effort and the girls were spent."
Shantell Davis poured in 20 points in the last meeting, but was held to five points. Purviance said Jessica Jessee played phenomenal defense on Davis.
“They deserved to win," Chapel Hill coach Linda Alston said. "They played harder and we missed too many shots underneath. We quit running our offense after the first quarter. This loss knocked us out at a chance at first or second.”
In the junior varsity girls’ contest, Chapel Hill edged Rivercrest, 51-46.
Leah Schumacher scored 15 points to lead the way for the Lady Red Devils and Anna Burton added 13. Haley Bivins had a game-high 18 points for the Lady Rebels.
RIVERCREST 44, CHAPEL HILL 38
Rivercrest 8 7 13 16 — 44 Chapel Hill 15 6 8 9 — 38
Rivercrest (14-10, 6-3) — Susan Smith 21, Franny Galyean 7, Emma McCuller 5, Kelsey Franks 4, Jessica Jessee 4, Kayla Birchfield 3. Free throws: 17-28. Threes: 5 (Smith 4, Galyean). Fouls: 16.
Chapel Hill (18-5, 6-3) — Alyssa Giddens 11, Candice Collier 8, Nena Millsap 6, Shantell Davis 5, Katie Flinn 4, Dayna Stanley 2, Cassie Clower 2. Free throws: 12-23. Threes: 0. Fouls: 21.
Chapel Hill 47, Rivercrest 35 (boys) MOUNT PLEASANT — John Branson and Arturo Torres broke open a see-saw affair as the Chapel Hill Red Devils defeated the Rivercrest Rebels, 47-35, Friday take over sole possession of second place in District 15-2A.
The duo had helped Chapel Hill go on a 16-4 run in the fourth quarter. Chapel Hill (17-5, 6-1) remains one game back of the Clarksville Tigers for first place with a meeting between the two teams lurking Friday night.
“We knew we were beating them down the floor,” Chapel Hill coach Ron Hanks said. “When we quit turning the ball over it turned around for us.”
Grahm McAuley drove to hoop in the final seconds of the third quarter to begin the decisive run give the Red Devils for good. The momentum carried into the final quarter.
The Rebels struggled from the floor missing 11 of the first 12 shots of the fourth quarter and the Red Devils took advantage.
Branson made a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws as the lead expanded to six points — the biggest of the evening. Torres converted the steal into a couple free throws.
Matt Haynes drove to hoop to temporarily end the scoring drought for the Rebels, but Chapel Hill took a 40-27 lead.
Rivercrest (16-7, 5-2) chopped the deficit down to six points with an 8-1 spurt to make the score 41-35 on a 3-pointer from Dereck Gallander, a three-point play from Logan Taylor and a Terrance Cannon layup. Gallander scored a game-high 19.
However, the Red Devils canned four straight free shots to preserve the win courtesy of Larry Mike and Torres.
Craig recorded 12 points along with seven boards on a badly sprained ankle.
“Branson and Craig were playing with badly sprained ankles,” Hanks said. “It was a miracle for them to play tonight.”
Both teams were even at 7-7 after the first eight minutes and Gallander hit a short jumper to give the Rebels the lead, 15-14, at halftime.
There were 13 lead changes and four ties through the first three quarters.
“We still have a chance to win district with Clarksville coming here,” Hanks said. “We still have a long road ahead and want to win district.”
In the junior varsity boys’ game, Chapel Hill beat Rivercrest 56-29. Eric Lunsford had 15 points to lead the way for the Red Devils and Geoffery Smith tossed in 12.
CHAPEL HILL 47, RIVERCREST 35
Rivercrest 7 8 10 10 — 35 Chapel Hill 7 7 12 21 — 47
Rivercrest (16-7, 5-2) — Dereck Gallander 19, Terrance Cannon 5, Logan Taylor 5, Matt Haynes 4, Joshua Moore 2. Free throws: 2-9. Threes: 3 (Gallander 3). Fouls: 23.
Chapel Hill (17-5, 6-1) — Arturo Torres 13, Rance Craig 12, John Branson 8, Larry Mike 6, Sean Steinmetz 4, Graham McAuley 2, Matt Leftwich 2. Free throws: 19-35. Threes: 2 (Branson 2). Fouls: 13.
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