Prep Basketball: Newnan unable to play catch-up in loss
By DOUG GORMAN
dgorman@newnan.com
The Newnan Lady Cougars will have to wait at least one more day before giving head coach LaVarrett Pearson his first victory of the year.
On a night when it was a girls-only varsity basketball contest, the Lady Cougars fell at home to visiting Mundy’s Mill 58-46.
The Lady Tigers turned a 40-33 lead at the end of the third quarter into the double-digit victory. Mundy’s Mill won the game at the line in the fourth quarter, hitting 10 of 11 shots. Danetra Jackson and Moneshia Dyer were perfect from the free-throw line for the visitors. Jackson was 5 of 5, while Dyer hit all four of her free throw attempts to help the Lady Tigers pull away.
Newnan cut the Mundy’s Mill lead to two twice in the fourth quarter. Metryres Geter's basket trimmed the Lady Tigers lead to 40-38 and a few minutes later LaKil Derring hit a shot to trim the visitors lead to 42-40.
From there, Mundy’s Mill outscored Newnan 16-6.
(To view photos from this game, please visit http://photos.times-herald.com/mycapture/ and click on Sports for the Photo Gallery.)
Newnan stayed in the game with five 3-point shots including four in the first half.
Chaycie Goggins connected on two treys in the first quarter. Derring and Talia Gashay also hit 3-point shots in the first half.
Tiara Calloway’s inside play also helped out with rebounding and scoring support for the Lady Cougars Her basket at the end of the first quarter gave the Lady Cougars a 13-11 lead. She finished the contest with 14 points to pace Newnan. She also had 10 rebounds.
Derring also finished in double figures with 10 points for the Newnan.
Dyer led all scorers with 23 points en route to the win for Mundy’s Mill. The Lady Tigers’ Keisi Arnold had 17 points all in the first three quarters. Arnold started out on fire for the Lady Tigers, scoring 9 of the teams 11 points over the first eight minutes of the game.
The game was not without some controversy in the first half because of a discrepancy with the two scorebooks.
Newnan’s longtime official scorer Dan Coleman was not in attendance on Friday.
Despite Mundy’s Mill’s book showing a 37-25 lead at the half, Newnan went to the locker room only down 29-25.
After getting together to discuss the difference of opinion, the officials went with the home book to the displeasure of Mundy’s Mill head coach Tu Willingham who continued to plead his case even when the two teams returned to the court for the second half.
Mundy’s Mill built a double-digit lead in the third quarter thanks to Dyers’ trey, but Newnan made one last charge in the quarter with a 3-point shot of its own as Derring cut the lead to 40-33 heading into the final quarter.
Newnan gets right back into action today with a game at home against Spalding at 1 p.m. The boys varsity game with follow.
