Hornets Top Yellow Jackets for Fourth Time This Season
Tue. February 14, 2012 at 11:57 p.m. | By Polk Preps Staff
Haines City's Brionna Brown is surrounded by Bartow defenders Shanti Groover (24), Janique Seawell (20) and Chenya Sealey (22) as she goes up for a shot on Tuesday night. (Photo by PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER )
BY LISA COFFEY
THE LEDGER
HAINES CITY | Bartow felt the sting of Haines City for the fourth time this year as the Hornets downed the Yellow Jackets 43-38 in a Class 7A, Region 2 girls semifinal contest Tuesday at the Wagman Gymnasium.
The Hornets will travel to face Harmony High School at 7 p.m. on Saturday in a regional final matchup.
Haines City's Laderricka Spillman was the most potent in a feisty contest between two teams that were meeting for the fourth time this season. The senior scored 11 points in a row while the Yellow Jackets had three starters on the bench in early foul trouble, giving the Hornets (28-2) a 21-14 halftime lead.
"We let No. 23 get down the lane a little too easy," Bartow coach Richard Murvin said. "We stop her and we don't lose the game."
Spillman, who finished with 13 points, had been in a slight scoring slump of late.
"She really stepped up," Haines City coach Ladreda Akins said. "We've been winning while she's not been scoring in the teens. She was silent, but tonight it really showed. I tell all the girls when that opportunity is there, you got to take it."
The Yellow Jackets found their rhythm early, leading 14-8 when Spillman drove through the lane, tying the contest 14-14 in the second quarter.
The Hornets continued the pressure after the break, going on a six-point run for a 15-point advantage in a contest where there was plenty of rough floor battles for loose balls.
Bartow (22-7) kept at it, closing the gap to four with 1:17 remaining in the contest before the Hornets started to play keep away with the ball.
Brionna Brown led all scorers with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Cheyna Sealey paced Bartow with 11 points. Shanti Groover added 10. Arielle Gallon chipped in seven points and nine boards.
BARTOW (38): Arielle Gallon 7, Janique Sewell 2, Chenya Sealey 11, Zykira Lewis 8, Shanti Groover 10. Totals 14 3 1-8 38.
HAINES CITY (43): Brekia Henderson 3 0-0 6, Jasmine Reddick 3, Jasmyn Brown 2, Jone Akins 3, Brionna Brown 16, Laderricka Spillman 13. Totals 14 4 3-13 43.
Bartow 9 5 11 13 — 38
Haines City 8 13 11 11 — 43
Halftime: Haines City 21-14. 3-pointers: Bartow 3 (Sealey 3). Haines City 4 (B. Brown 2, Akins 1, Spillman 1). Records: Bartow 22-7, Haines City 28-2.
