Ribault Advances to Class 4A Finals
Wed. February 22, 2012 at 9:14 p.m. | By Polk Preps Staff
Ribault Trojans #1 Sierra Shepherd has her shot blocked by Jones Tigers #23 Angela Jernigan. (Photo by Pierre DuCharme | The Ledger)
BY LISA COFFEY
THE LEDGER
LAKELAND | It only made sense in a game that featured two teams with sticky defenses would came down to a
defensive play at the buzzer.
The Ribault Lady Trojans of Jacksonville covered Orlando Jones' player Tifani Kerrison's last second shot just enough to secure a 43-42 last-second victory over the Tigers in the 4A semifinal game at The Lakeland Center.
Ribault twins Sierra and Tierra Shepherd denied Kerrison a good look in the game's last five seconds to send the Trojans (28-2) to the state final for the first time since 2003.
"I needed to get that off my back," said Ribault coach Shelia Pennick. "I've been here two times and not made it."
The defensive stop came after Trojan Tierra Shepherd had missed two free throws with five seconds to go with Ribault holding a skinny 43-42 lead.
"I told them to believe," Pennick said. "I told them to stay focused."
The Trojans had gone 1-for-6 at the charity stripe in the game's final minute in a contest that featured poor shooting by both teams.
The Trojans shot 30 percent while the Tigers (26-5) shot 34 percent in a game that saw 54 turnovers.
The poor shooting made for numerous rebounding opportunities that the Tigers controlled. They out-rebounded the Trojans 25-12 in the first half resulting in a 24-19 lead.
They also out-rebounded the Trojans 12-3 in the third quarter, but that was when junior guard Sherranda Reddick broke loose.
Reddick scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the second half before fouling out.
Reddick's 10-point run that spanned late in the third and into the fourth quarter resulted in a 35-35 tie with 5:34 left
in the fourth. And she did it largely with four fouls.
Twice in the final minute the scrappy Tigers hit one of two free throws, but couldn't convert the second to tie it.
Both Simpson and Victoria Carroll scored 11 for Orlando Jones. Jazmyne Thompson tallied eight points and 11 rebounds.
THE LEDGER
LAKELAND | It only made sense in a game that featured two teams with sticky defenses would came down to a
defensive play at the buzzer.
The Ribault Lady Trojans of Jacksonville covered Orlando Jones' player Tifani Kerrison's last second shot just enough to secure a 43-42 last-second victory over the Tigers in the 4A semifinal game at The Lakeland Center.
Ribault twins Sierra and Tierra Shepherd denied Kerrison a good look in the game's last five seconds to send the Trojans (28-2) to the state final for the first time since 2003.
"I needed to get that off my back," said Ribault coach Shelia Pennick. "I've been here two times and not made it."
The defensive stop came after Trojan Tierra Shepherd had missed two free throws with five seconds to go with Ribault holding a skinny 43-42 lead.
"I told them to believe," Pennick said. "I told them to stay focused."
The Trojans had gone 1-for-6 at the charity stripe in the game's final minute in a contest that featured poor shooting by both teams.
The Trojans shot 30 percent while the Tigers (26-5) shot 34 percent in a game that saw 54 turnovers.
The poor shooting made for numerous rebounding opportunities that the Tigers controlled. They out-rebounded the Trojans 25-12 in the first half resulting in a 24-19 lead.
They also out-rebounded the Trojans 12-3 in the third quarter, but that was when junior guard Sherranda Reddick broke loose.
Reddick scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the second half before fouling out.
Reddick's 10-point run that spanned late in the third and into the fourth quarter resulted in a 35-35 tie with 5:34 left
in the fourth. And she did it largely with four fouls.
Twice in the final minute the scrappy Tigers hit one of two free throws, but couldn't convert the second to tie it.
Both Simpson and Victoria Carroll scored 11 for Orlando Jones. Jazmyne Thompson tallied eight points and 11 rebounds.
Orlando Jones (42) - Jazmyne Thompson 3-4 2-3 8, Dominique Simpson 3-10 4-4 11, Tifani Kerrison 4-14 2-4 10, Victoria Carroll 5-9 1-2 11, Angela Jernigan 0-3 0-0 0, Carlie Shazier 0-1 0-0 0, Darrian Hightower 0-0 0-0 0, Jessica Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Stefani Kerrison 0-1 2-4 2, Quashayla Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Tangela Jernigan 0-1, 0-1 0. Totals 15-44 11-18 42.
Jacksonville Ribault (43) - Sierra Shepherd 3-7, 1-3 7, Brittney Neavins 0-2 1-2 1, Tierra Shepherd 4-15, 2-4 10, Whittney Neavins 1-4 0-0 2, Sherranda Reddick 7-19 6-11 21. Brandi Walker 0-3 0-0 0, Samantha Heggs 1-2 0-2 2, Tiffany Harris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-53 10-22 43.
Jacksonville Ribault (43) - Sierra Shepherd 3-7, 1-3 7, Brittney Neavins 0-2 1-2 1, Tierra Shepherd 4-15, 2-4 10, Whittney Neavins 1-4 0-0 2, Sherranda Reddick 7-19 6-11 21. Brandi Walker 0-3 0-0 0, Samantha Heggs 1-2 0-2 2, Tiffany Harris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-53 10-22 43.
Orlando Jones 12 12 9 9 - 42
Jacksonville Ribault 9 10 10 14 - 43
Jacksonville Ribault 9 10 10 14 - 43
3-pointers: Jones 1-14 (Simpson 1-5, T. Kerrison 0-3, Carroll 0-2, A. Jernigan 0-2, C. Shazier 0-1, S. Kerrison 0-1). Ribault 1-7 (S. Shepherd 0-1, W. Neavins 0-1, S. Reddick 1-4, B. Walker 0-1). Rebounds: Jones 48 (J. Thompson 11), Ribault 27 (S. Reddick 8). Assists: Jones 5 (Simpson 2), Ribault 5 (T. Shepherd 2). Records: Jones 26-5, Ribault 28-2.
