Jacksonville, AL – Lady Raiders hold their own in the first half however Ider freshman Traylor is able to get loose for 25 minutes in the second quarter and leads Pleasant Valley to regional defeat
By Al Muskewitz
The game could not have been more perfect in the favor of Pleasant Valley. Pleasant Valley girls early in their first Northeast Regional game in seven years. There was a clear indication that there was a possibility of an upset. It was clear that the Lady Raiders’ zone was working and it allowed them to take an early lead of seven points. When Ider junior Makinley Traylor hit her stride as The Lady Hornets found their range from the outside (at at the very least it was more than they had previously) and it all came together to spell terrible results for the girls of Calhoun County. Traylor scored 25 of her game-high 31, scores in the 2nd period while they Lady Hornets hit five of their eight 3-pointers following halftime to defeat their Lady Raiders 63-49 in the Class 2A Northeast Regional girls semifinals played at Jacksonville State. “We’ve had 12 or 14 movies on these, so we know that she was a good player,” PV coach Colton Morris told reporters about Traylor. “In the very first half, I believe we held her to zero and then in the second, she got some.
“I was feeling that the time we played our defense at that point (in the second part) it didn’t help us in the least. We were a bit hurt and I’m responsible for that and not on them. We let her loose. We were Macey (Roper) who was in trouble (Rebekah Gannaway) who was in foul trouble at the time that it occurred and we couldn’t get into action and challenge it like we would like to.” The Lady Hornets weren’t scoring for not trying. They shot 72 times in the game — double the amount of PVand scored 44 3-pointers. Many of them came from behind the line of college. They racked up 21 offensive rebounds, however they only scored seven points on second chances, and PV actually beat them 41-35. They attempted 38 shots in the first half however PV’s zone caused them fits , and they made just seven. They shot 3-of-24 from the 3-point distance. Traylor did not score more than just six points with a shooting percentage of one-of-nine her shot. The one she scored was a three-pointer..
Despite their poor shooting and the shooting woes, they Lady Hornets held a one-point advantage at halftime but the game was about to alter. Traylor made in the Lady Hornets’ first 14 points of the second period and they finished with a lead of 38-34 which grew to eight during the 4th quarter, with the help of two consecutive threes from Julie Mavity. “It was like throughout the season, we’d go out and struggle to shoot the ball, and then suddenly someone will make a shot and we’re in a good rhythm,” Ider coach Jamie Pruett stated. “It was a bit longer this evening, it felt to be like.” It was the Lady Raiders got it back at 47-45 with just 3:53 left and then Traylor made a three-pointer. took an entry pass, then took it all the way back to score a layup at the other side and made a steal on their next run down the court. This was part of the 15-2 final streak that ended the game.
The difference between the two halves, Pruett said, was sitting next to Traylor and instructing her to go into the basketball court. “There’s no need for coaching when you’ve have someone who can achieve this level of rack and then they’re shooting shots or bouncing off,” he said. “It’s focused on the group, however you know, if she’s able to make it to the basket, we’re a much better team. They were into the game in the middle of the quarter I’m not sure at the exact moment, but I pulled her towards the side and said that you’ll need to begin to be aggressive, and attacking the rim. I’m glad she did.” When Traylor was at work, Roper and Gannaway were aiding with helping the Lady Raiders keep pace. Roper and Gannaway scored 24 and 20 per cent, during their final games at high school. Roper also racked up an all-time high of 17 rebounds.
