HUNTSVILLE | It's hard to quantify upsets in November, when high school basketball teams are just getting their seasons started and sorting themselves out.
But Scott High's win over Clay County in the final girls' game of the annual Twin K Hall of Fame Classic here Saturday would have to be considered an upset.
The Lady Highlanders surprised the Bulldogs with a 58-47 win, knocking off a team that is coming off back-to-back state tournament appearances in Class 1A.
Sophomore Brittany Morrow had a big night offensively to power the effort, finishing with 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting while going 3 of 4 at the free throw line.
As a team, Scott connected on 16 of 20 free throw attempts — 80%.
It was a slow start, as the two teams battled to a 12-12 tie in the first quarter. Morrow had five points, and Julie Lawson knocked down a key 3-pointer, but Clay County was able to stay even at the free throw line, making six trips there in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Annalyne Woodward score seven points and Morrow added six, as the Lady Highlanders led most of the way before Clay County edged ahead by a single point at halftime.
The third quarter was when Scott High began to take charge, going on a 13-9 run behind key 3-pointers by Morrow and Lawson, and a trio of free throws by Jalin Young.
The Lady Highlanders closed strong in the fourth quarter, with Zoey Terry scoring six of her eight, and Morrow adding six more.
SCOTT (58): Morrow 20, Terry 8, Young 8, Lawson 8, Woodward 7, R. Price 3, Lewis 2, Z. Price 2.
CLAY CO. (47): Head 9, Wix 8, Burchett 8, Hale 8, Walden 5, Eads 4, Ashlock 3, Brown 2.
Scott 46, Mt. Pisgah 34
HUNTSVILLE | If there was a disappointing aspect of Scott High's 74-58 loss to Coalfield in the season-opener that stood out the most, it might have been the fact that the Lady Highlanders gave up 74 points.
For two years, Scott has made stout defensive play its M.O., but Coalfield — which features a variety of offensive weapons both inside and outside — had its way offensively in the opener.
Saturday, however, was a completely different story. The Lady Highlanders began play in the Twin K Hall of Fame Classic by holding Mt. Pisgah Christian Academy to just 34 points, winning 46-34.
Jalin Young had a team-high 14 points, while Brittany Morrow added 10, and Scott High jumped out to a big lead early that it would not relinquish.
The Lady Highlanders led 18-3 after the first quarter. Young scored eight of her points in the opening stanza, while Morrow scored five.
Scott increased its lead to 24-7 at halftime, before Mt. Pisgah began to claw back in the third quarter. The slight comeback was primarily due to Mattie Beard, who knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points in the third.
But Scott High proved to be strong enough to stave off the comeback, even though Mt. Pisgah went to the free throw line 14 times in the fourth quarter alone.
Zoey Terry had a team-high seven rebounds. Morrow added six boards. Terry also had five steals, and the Lady Highlanders recorded 19 steals as a team.
Scott shot only 30% from the field, but that was enough on an afternoon when the Lady Highlanders' defense set the tone.
SCOTT (46): Young 14, Morrow 10, Terry 9, R. Price 6, Lawson 5, Woodward 2.
MT. PISGAH (34): Walls 9, C. Foster 8, Beard 8, B. Foster 6, Jones 2, Howard 1.
