Cavalier Girls Open With A Win, Set Bar For Season

The South Carroll girls basketball team started the season with an overtime win against visiting Walkersville Monday night.

The Cavaliers withstood a last second shot from the Lions to win 65-62.

South Carroll was led by junior guard Nikki Heim, who contributed in 22 points. Also in double figures for the home team was Katie Mathias with 12 and Erin Slifer and Erin Quinn with 10.

''Nikki always played hard. She played a great game,'' said South Carroll coach Liz Padgett.

Walkersville held the ball for the last 20 seconds of regulation time but was called for a charge with less than a second left in the game. South Carroll threw the ball in the basket and the buzzer sounded, sending the game into overtime.

In the four minute overtime, South Carroll outscored the visitors, 6-3. The six points were scored by Heim, Mathias and Quinn.

Mathias came up with a big rebound with seconds left in overtime. Walkersville attempted two shots, when Mathias grabbed a rebound and was fouled with two seconds left in the game. She missed two foul shots and the Lions got the ball back. After a timeout, Walkersville inbound the ball and got a long shot off that was off the mark.

The biggest lead either team had all night was five points. The Lions held that margin once in the first half and the Cavaliers twice. In the second half, South Carroll went up by four, 39-35 with 4:59 left in the third quarter, but the Lions answered and tied the score at 46 going into the final period.

''They worked hard in practice,'' said Padgett about the win.

When asked what the game meant to the team she said, ''Motivation. A lot of the kids haven't played at this level.''

Walkersville was led by freshmen Tyra Hughes and senior Shernise Disney with 22 points each.

Walkersville came out on top in the junior varsity contest, 50-29. The Cavaliers were led in scoring by Nicki Levy with 11 and teammate Kristin Tennyson scored seven. 

GIRLS BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Winter is in the air, so it time to head inside for the high school basketball season. Century, Liberty and South Carroll tip-off the girls basketball season this week. 

The Knights were 13-8 overall last year with a 7-6 record in the county.

Coach Joel Beard has a young squad this season. ''The CHS Girls will be an exceptionally young team, only one senior. We will be competitive,'' he said.

Beard has been coaching for 31 years. The last 10 years at Century.

The leading returning scorers are Alice Mercer, 8.8 points per game and Haley Bordner at 6.3 points per game. Mercer is a junior and Bordner a sophomore.

The other returning players are Cassidy Jones, guard and forwards Kayla Avery and Angela Flister. Jones is a sophomore, Flister a junior and Avery is the lone senior on the team.

Bordner and Flister are the top rebounders on the team.

Beard is unsure of his starters, but believes it will be Mercer, Bordner, Jones, Avery and Flister.

''Our hope is to improve as the season progresses,'' Beard said.

He views Liberty, South Carroll and Westminster the teams to beat in the county.

The Lions were a surprise in the county last year as they advanced to the Class 2A state semifinals. They captured their fist regional title since 1983. Liberty finished the season with a 21-5 mark and 11-3 in the county.

Coach Jessica Morgan in her second year returns seven players this year, including her top two scorers.

Maggie and Kelly McCormick led the Lions last year. Maggie's 16 points a game was also second in the county. Her sister, Kelly averaged 12 points and was also one of the top rebounders with teammate Hailey Marlatt.

Morgan is unsure of her starters and views South Carroll as the team to beat in Carroll.

The Cavaliers won the county title last year with a 11-3 record. It was their first county title since 1997. They were 15-8 overall.

The Cavaliers are looking for Nikki Heim, Erin Slifer and Katie Mathias to lead this year's team.

Mathias, a 5'11'' forward averaged 8.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest last year.

South Carroll is coached by Liz Padgett who views the county as being competitive.