Signal Mountain Girls Basketball Defeats Central; Pounders Get Win In Boys’ Contest

  • Friday, January 24, 2020
  • Joseph Dycus

Jackie Kennedy was ready to shoot when Signal Mountain’s imposing interior players grabbed their last rebound of the first quarter. Upon catching the ball, she wasted no time in gathering, loading, and launching a busser-beating shot from the midrange as time expired in the first quarter of their 57-23 win over Chattanooga Central. 

“I thought we played pretty well,” said Signal Mountain coach Kendra Bell. “We got to play a lot of kids, and that’s always good. We didn’t shoot the ball extremely well, so we’re going to need to go back and work on that a little bit.”

The 10-1 Signal Mountain Eagles, even by their lofty standards, played an impressive opening quarter. The Eagles were juggernauts inside the paint, pounding the interior for a variety of scores. One came off a slick back-cut, while another was provided by a surgical fastbreak that saw the ball ping from one end of the floor to the other in two seconds. It was not all defense though, with center Olivia Koontz supplying rim protection against Chattanooga Central’s forays. 

“We’re a big team, so we actually addressed that before the game and during halftime,” said coach Bell. “That if you’re not hitting shots, you’ve got to drive the ball and take it to the rim and make something happen or get offensive rebounds.”

On one such stop, Koontz used her right hand to reject a would-be Chattanooga Central score. A few moments later, Jaylah Hardy broke through with another Eagle layup. The first quarter ended with another Signal highlight, this time the aforementioned Kennedy midrange jump shot that nestled into the twine just as the first quarter buzzer sounded.

Down 22-3 at the start of the second, Ja’nya West finally put Chattanooga Central on the board with a knifing foray to the basket. Despite the large deficit, Central never stopped playing with effort. This attitude was best-exemplified by Jakiyah Robinson, who dove to the floor with aplomb as she continuously dove to the floor after loose balls. Chattanooga Central’s defense also improved in the quarter, giving up only 12. 

Signal Mountain came out of the halftime break with a renewed fire. They continued to suffocate Central’s guards with an aggressive trap and zone, and then bludgeoned Chattanooga Central with even more offensive boards. Koontz remained dominant inside, utilizing a short jumpshot from seven or so feet away to score a good chunk of her points. 

“Olivia is a nice player,” said coach Bell on her star player, “She’s 6’3, but she has a really nice shot. I thought we did a good job of passing her the ball when she was open and at the correct time.”

Eagle guard Lamiah Walker was equally as proficient at putting the ball in the basket, putting in seven baskets en-route to a 15 point night. She peppered the shot chart with makes from all over the court, with some coming in transition and other off of timely cuts around the basket. 

The win moves Signal Mountain to 11-1 on the season, while Chattanooga Central goes to 2-8 on the year. 

Central Boys 47, Signal Mountain 39: Chattanooga Central’s 47-39 win over Signal Mountain came down to the wire, an outcome few would have predicted after the first eight minutes. Chattanooga Central began the game with a stellar 10-2 run that was predicated upon solid ball movement and some timely shotmaking by their wings. The Purple Pounders were efficient from the floor, led by their point guard Jakbi White and his 14 points. 

“He’s the leader of our team and if things are going well, it’s because he’s making things go well,” said Central head coach Kantonio Davis on White. “We look for him to do a lot for our ball club, and he usually does. He plays hard on defense, he plays hard on offense, and he just plays hard when he’s on the floor. We’re really enjoying having him play for us this year.”

The host Signal Mountain Eagles, paced by Terrence Russell’s 18 points, made a comeback in the second half. Russell nailed shot after shot to get the game within six points with a minute left. However White and 10 point scorer Blaine Turner combined to hit their last four free throws of the game, icing the victory for Chattanooga Christian. 

“The guys did a great job of calming themselves down, as we realized we had a ballgame on their hands,” said coach Davis on his team’s composure. “They took their time, went up the line, and knocked them down.”

Chattanooga Central goes to 7-11, while Signal Mountain falls to 4-12 on the season. 

GIRL’S GAME SUMMARY

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN                                22   12    18     5 — 57

CHATTANOOGA CENTRAL                       3      5      5   10 — 23

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN (57) – Olivia Koontz 15, Lamiah Walker 15, Jaylah Hardy 10, McCarter 2, Sitton 2, Kennedy 2, Bryce 6, Maddox 2, King 1, Pawson 2

CHATT CENTRAL (23) – Robinson 1, Ja’nya West 10, Glover 2, Allen 5, Parker 5

3-POINT GOALS: Signal Mountain 2 (Koontz 1, Hardy 1), Chattanooga Central 1 (Parker)

BOY’S GAME SUMMARY

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN                                 4   10     5   20 — 39

CHATTANOOGA CENTRAL                     12   14    7   14 — 47

 

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN (39) – Terrence Russell 18, Godbehere 3, Burns 5, Hutcherson 7, Megahee 1, Sisson 5

CHATT CENTRAL (47) – Jokbi White 14, Blaine Turner 10, Tutton 2, Few 4, Grayson 2, Hubbard 2, Taylor 8, Hayes 2, Jackson 1, Teague 2

 

3-POINT GOALS: Signal Mountain 4 (Russell 2, Godbehere 1, Burris 1), Chattanooga Central 4 (Taylor 2, White 1, Turner 1)

 

Latest Headlines
Prep Sports
PREP SCHEDULES
  • 4/30/2024

Prep Schedules for Week of: March 25th All times are local to the event (Coaches/ADs: Please send any schedule corrections or addititions to Dennis Norwood, Prep Sports Editor, at ... more

Soddy Daisy Tennis Sweeps Red Bank
  • 3/29/2024

Soddy Daisy High School hosted Red Bank High School at the Middle Valley Recreation Courts on Thursday, 3/28/24. SDHS Girls won 9-0 and the SDHS Boys won 6-3. Girls Singles ... more