Lady Pioneers top Maroons

By JIM CUNNINGHAM/Staff

The Fort Chiswell Lady Pioneers avenged an earlier loss by defeating the George Wythe Lady Maroons 77-74 in double overtime Friday night at the Fort.
Just the Friday before, the Lady Maroons took a 17-point (78-61) victory over FC in a contest played in the Dungeon.
The Lady Pioneers lost two of their starters to fouls before the end of regulation and also trailed late in regulation and in the first overtime period before finally pulling the game out with strong play in the second overtime.
Fort Chiswell Head Coach Kristen Williams said she was proud of the freshmen on the team and the bench players.
She gave credit for GW for playing well. “It feels good to beat a good team,” she said.
George Wythe’s Ashley Buckhannon scored a career-high 38 points Friday night. Williams said her team had trouble trying to contain her all night.
George Wythe Head Coach Arthur Johnson agreed that Buckhannon is an exceptional player. “I’m proud of what’s she done,” he said, noting that it appears that she has stepped up her defensive game as well.
But Johnson was somewhat disappointed about his team not being able to put the game away when it had the lead on several occasions.
“We had our chances,” he said. “We missed two layups (late in the game) and we missed two free throws. The game shouldn’t have gone into overtime.”
Besides Buckhannon’s 38 points, GW was paced by 21 points from Lacey Price.
FC had three players in double figures with freshman Nancy Thacker leading with 24 points and Paige Quesenberry and Kendra Vaughan chipping in 11 points apiece.
The game was tight all the way with the Lady Maroons taking a 16-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter, but the Lady Pioneers came back to lead by one (30-29) at halftime.
FC maintained its one-point lead going into the fourth quarter after both teams scored 12 apiece in the third quarter.
The Lady took their first lead of the second half after Price made a steal and layup to put GW up 47-46 early in the fourth quarter.
But Vaughan answered quickly for FC with an inside bucket to give her team a one-point lead.
GW later tied the score and then went up by four points with about two minutes left in regulation.
After Amanda Montgomery tied the game for FC with less than a minute left, the Lady Maroons re-gained the lead when Julie Compton picked up a loose ball near the bucket and scored.
FC called a time-out with only 17 seconds left, but the Lady Pioneers sent the game into overtime on a bucket by Lindsey Worrell with just a few seconds left.
Late in the first OT, Buckhannon made a steal and layup to put GW up 64-63. Thacker then connected on two-of-two from the free throw line to give FC a 65-64 lead.
Buckhannon again gave GW the advantage with a drive to the bucket for two.
But Thacker was able to tie the score at 66-66 when she converted one-of-two from the line.
Thacker was two-of-two from the line with only 39 seconds left in the second OT to give the Lady Pioneers a 75-72 lead.
Then Buckhannon was fouled attempting a three-point shot. The shot missed, but Buckhannon connected on two-of-three from the line to make it a one-point game with only 33 seconds left.
Laken Arnold sealed the game for FC by canning two free throws with less than one second left.

George Wythe 16 13 12 17 8 8 – 74
Fort Chiswell 12 18 12 16 8 11 – 77

George Wythe – Martha Walters 2, Julie Compton 6, Shelbie Bennett 5, Chelsie Corvin 2, Ashley Buckhannon 38, Lacey Price 21.
Fort Chiswell—- Nancy Thacker 24, Amanda Montgomery 5,  Paige Quesenberry 11, Laken Arnold 4, Christina Shockley 6, Carlyta Hamm 8, Kendra Vaughan 11, Lindsey Worrell 4, Brittany Pinnix 4.
(T – 1:58)