Makayla Alvey scores 1,000th point as Jeff County heads to 2nd straight Ladies Classic title game

The win moved Coach Rick Sinard’s team into tonight’s championship game where it will face Oak Ridge in a rematch of last year’s title tilt. The Lady Wildcats knocked off Meigs County, 69-60, on Monday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

Alvey, who now has 1,009 for her career, finished with 13, Cayla Smith had 12 and Alexa Gramann 10 as the Lady Patriots improved to 11-3 for the season. Madee Denton added seven.

The Lady Bees’ Reagan Hurst took game scoring honors with 17 points, but no other player had more than five for the losers.

Upperman, now 11-2, led by a point at the half before the Lady Patriots held them without a field goal in an ugly third quarter that saw the teams combine for just 10 points. Neither team scored for the first 4:15 of the period before Alvey hit a layup off a back door pass from Denton.

Alvey came back 40 seconds later to nail a three-pointer and Jefferson County never trailed again.

Denton and Alvey also had eight rebounds each as the winners had a 34-22 backboard edge. Jefferson held the Lady Bees to only four rebounds in the final two quarters.

Sinard said after the game, “I thought we did a great job defensively again tonight and we did a great job on the boards in the second half.

We made some shots when we really needed to hit them,” he continued. “I think that was the key. We still made way too many turnovers. But when you bring that defensive intensity every night, it really makes a difference,” he said. “I think it has a lot to do with the players having heart. And I’ve got some girls that have a will to win and will get after you right to the final horn. They certainly did that tonight.”

As usual, Alvey was the ringleader in that department. One of her rebounds saw her chase down her own missed free throw before the defense could get to it in the fourth quarter and Sinard was asked if he was surprised she was able to do that. “That didn’t surprise anybody that’s watched her play very much. That’s an everyday thing for her and you would never be surprised to see her do anything that had to do with hustle or heart.”

The third quarter was the difference. After Alvey scored her five straight points, Upperman got free throws from Hurst to get back within one at 24-23.

But Cayla Smith knocked down a three and the Lady Patriots led 27-23 at the final rest stop.

Denton grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in for the first points of the fourth frame to open the lead to six. The teams traded points as Denton hit a three and Aiyana Levy responded with a trey for the Lady Bees.

Tara Scales drove for a basket for the Lady Patriots and Abigail Johnson hit a free throw for the losers. Smith popped through another triple from the left corner and it was 39-31 with 4:30 left.

Hurst hit a basket and Torie Brooks made a free throw for Upperman to close it back to five but Jefferson County went to its possession offense and scored its final seven points from the foul line.

Jefferson County got off just 27 shots but made 12 for 44.4 percent. The Lady Patriots made 6 of 10 from behind the arc. The Lady Bees managed only 13 of 46 (28.3 percent) and made 2 of 14 three’s.

The first half was close all the way with three ties and three lead changes. Gramann scored the game’s first three points but the Lady Bees went on a 12-5 run to lead by four before Alvey’s free throw made it 12-9 at the quarter.

Upperman led by three in the second stanza before Kali McMahan short jumper put Jefferson County ahead at 19-18 late in the half. Hurst then scored right at the buzzer to put the Lady Bees in front by 20-19 at intermission.