Webbers Falls girls stay perfect in holding off Porter for Class A district title; Porter boys hang on for district title win

Samantha Shanks had a game-high 21 points as Webbers Falls improved to 17-0.

By Buck Ringgold

WEBBERS FALLS — Defense was a primary factor in Saturday's Class A Area IV District 8 girls title game between Porter and Webbers Falls.

The Lady Warriors, though, were able to make things happen offensively in the end, especially from their senior point guard, to remain perfect on the season.

Samantha Shanks had a game-high 21 points and made four free throws over the final 21.7 seconds as Webbers Falls improved to 17-0 after holding off the Lady Pirates on Saturday night, 36-33.

"It was just a defensive slugfest," Lady Warriors coach Jerry Ward said. "If you like defense, this was the game to watch; both teams did a good job of taking away what the other team wanted to do.

"Most of our games haven't been very close this year, and to get into a game of this magnitude and grind it out and hang on to the win, that says a lot about your kids."

The Lady Warriors will advance to the Class A regional semifinals Thursday night at Red Oak for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff, playing against Red Oak. Porter drops into the regional consolation bracket, and plays its first game at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, also at Red Oak.

Webbers Falls trailed by three, 15-12, at halftime of Saturday's game and also fell behind by six early in the second half, 19-13. The Lady Warriors rallied to go in front before Porter tied the score at 22-all entering the final quarter.

To start the fourth quarter, the Lady Warriors got consecutive baskets from senior guard Brooke Wyatt and Anistyn Garner, a sophomore guard.

Shanks then helped her team maintain that lead with an assist to senior forward Cessna Kimberlin, and Shanks added a pair of baskets, the latter a stick-back off her own miss as the Lady Warriors went up by five, 32-27, with less than three minutes left.

Porter (18-5) cut that to two, 32-30, with 1:15 remaining on a basket from senior Charmayne Marshall. Webbers Falls then played keep-away as Porter only had three fouls.

With 21.7 seconds left, Shanks had the ball and made a move to the basket as she drew a foul. She went to the line and hit both free throws for a two-possession lead.

The Lady Pirates had one more chance, after junior Raylee Allison hit a long 3-pointer with 6.7 seconds showing on the clock.

After the inbounds following a time out, the pass went to Shanks, and she dribbled more time off the clock before getting fouled with 2.4 seconds to go, sending her to the line in a one-and-one situation.

Shanks calmly stepped up and hit both foul shots, and then played strong defense at the end, as Porter was unable to get a potential game-tying shot off as time expired.

"I was really nervous, but I just relaxed and did what I did best and shot it, and made it," Shanks said of her late free throws.

"It was really rough at the start, but I think over time, we really played not to lose instead of to win, but after halftime, I think we came out and we were more relaxed, and we just played our game. We didn't play our best, but we got the job done."

Ward noted that Shanks, a four-year starter who has been a part of two state tournament teams at Webbers Falls, is indeed a difference maker.

"She's one of these kids that can go score; obviously, she has the extraordinary ability to pass the ball over to people," Ward said. 

"She's been that kind of player basically her whole career."

But Ward added his team is more than just Shanks, as evidenced by their fourth-quarter performance.

"Brooke hit two big shots and Anistyn hit a shot," Ward said. "Lindsey (Pierce, a junior forward), late in the game, came up with a big play defensively.

"That's what we've been able to do all year is somebody different steps up and they make a play, make a basket, do something good defensively, something like that. That's been something that's helped us also; not just one or two people, it's all five contributing in some way and that's what teamwork is all about."

Marshall had 13 points and Allison added 10 for Porter. Marshall was 5-of-7 from the foul line and Allison made two 3's.

Porter 37, Webbers Falls 31 (BOYS)

At 6-foot-5, one of the taller players in Class A, Porter senior post KeJuan Reynolds may very well be an x-factor for the Pirates in their bid to get to state.

"I'm usually the biggest person on the floor whenever I play, so it can go both ways," Reynolds said. "I may not get the call; they may feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick on the calls."

But in the second half of Saturday's Class A Area IV District 8 title game, Reynolds and the Pirates were able to eventually have things go their way.

Reynolds had 12 of his game-high 14 points after halftime, and the Pirates also got an important 3-pointer to fall as they shook off a pesky Webbers Falls squad.

"I wouldn't be able to do it without my teammates," Reynolds said. "We were a little bit sluggish in the first half, then we locked in defensively and we were able to pull the win out.

"(In the second half) we slowed it down a little bit and not shoot as many quick 3's, just really playing half-court basketball. Then whenever I had them behind me, I was open and put it in."

The Pirates (19-3), who led 18-16 at halftime, went up by six, 26-20, early in the fourth quarter.

But the Warriors got within one, 30-29, when Daylan Jarrard hit a 3 with 3:05 left.

Less than a minute later, though, Porter junior Logan Crain caught a pass and quickly released a shot from the right corner for a 3 of his own, making it a two-possession game.

"We didn't hit a lot (of perimeter shots) but we did hit a big one; Logan Crain stepped up and I think he was about 0-for-6 on the night," Porter coach Corey Miller said. "We ran a little quick set to him and he hit a 3 in the corner to give us a four-point lead.

"Give him credit; he could have folded and not wanting to be in that situation, but that was the back-breaker, us going up two possessions."

Following Crain's 3, the Warriors turned the ball over and that led to a basket from Mason Plunk as the Pirates went back up by six, 35-29, with 1:45 remaining.

Reynolds then put the finishing touches on the win with a strong drive down the lane for his team's final points on the evening.

"I just like how they give me the ball in clutch situations; they believe in me, I believe in my teammates," said Reynolds, who added he has been averaging approximately 24 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks per contest.

Plunk, a junior, was also in double figures in Saturday's win with 11 points, as he made three first-half 3's.

Porter now goes from playing one team on its home court to another, having to face Red Oak in Thursday's Class A regional semifinals at 8 p.m. Red Oak won its district playoff on Saturday.

"These games here are true road games," Miller said. "You're in the playoffs, but you're playing in enemy territory. ... We've just got to play inside through KeJuan and let him touch it.

"Our man offense is a little bit better than our zone stuff, we've just got to make shots. If we make shots, our guards make shots, that just makes us better because not many people can slow KeJuan down inside."

The Warriors' top scorer was Ashton Davis with 10 points. He also made two 3's.

Webbers Falls (11-7) now drops into the regional consolation round and will play at 3 p.m. Thursday in Red Oak.