Grandey, Schaadt named to all-tourney team

By Cort Reynolds

The tenacious Allen East girls basketball team fashioned a decisive 17-2 run to start the fourth quarter and key a 55-37 win over host Bluffton in the championship game of the annual McDonald’s Holiday Tournament Friday night, November 24.

The Mustangs led throughout, but had their 12-point halftime lead whittled to 38-33 entering the fourth period after the spunky Pirates authored a 14-7 third period.

Than a withering AE fullcourt press forced nine Pirate turnovers in the final stanza. Combined with five offensive putback baskets, the press allowed the Mustangs to pull away and win comfortably.

The relentless AE pressure helped force 28 costly turnovers, many of which were turned into transition baskets for the victors.

Bluffton junior post Ayla Grandey and sophomore Macy Schaadt were named to the all-tournament team. Grandey led all scorers in the tourney with 44 points.

Mustang senior Savana Brooks was voted tournament MVP after scoring 33 points in the two games. Junior teammate Rilynn Jones and AE senior guard Aubrey Young also made the all-tournament team.

The Pirates fell to 1-1 with the loss, while talented AE improved to 2-0 after the win. 

“Their pressure gave us problems,” said first-year Pirate head coach Adam Burris. ”We had a lot of live-ball turnovers, and they scored a lot of points off our turnovers.

“When we were heading into the fourth down five I thought our game plan was working and we had a shot,” he continued. “But they hit big shots and we couldn’t score in the fourth.” 

The AE victory avenged a 55-52 Mustang loss to the Pirates last year in the championship game.

“The girls were hungry,” said Mustang head coach Aaron Montgomery of the revenge factor. “They wanted it badly. Our press bothered them.”

AE played lockdown defense in the fourth quarter, outscoring Bluffton 17-4. 

The Mustang girls jumped ahead 5-0 and never trailed. Taylor Nickles started it by hitting a lane banker, and Aubrey Young drilled a left wing 18-footer.

A right wing triple by Ayla Grandey was the first Pirate basket 98 seconds into the fray.  

Versatile AE wing Brooks swooped into the lane and sank a pretty left-handed floater, followed by a turnaround shot from 6-0 junior post Nickles.

A steal and basket seconds later by speedy junior guard Rilynn Jones made it 11-3. Pirate Blair Utendorf answered with a nice southpaw layin of her own. 

Young later canned a transition basket off a nice Jones feed, followed by a Young steal and layup. A Brooks free throw extended the lead to 18-7. Pirate Ashley Fleece then canned a lane-driving flip shot to cut the deficit to 18-9 after the opening stanza.

A Young triple bounced in to offset two Grandey foul shots. Grandey canned a bank shot to inch within 22-13. But AE spurted again when Jones stole the ball and fed Brooks for a layup. 

Jones then swiped the ball again and converted a tough power layup to make it 26-13 with 3:12 left before the half.

Grandey knocked down a left-handed layup, but Brynn Richardson scored off a good Brooks pass. Ella Miller then drained a left wing triple to provide a 31-15 margin a the 1:44 mark.

Pirate sophomore guard Lauren Dearth rolled in a running banker, then netted a layup off a steal to pull the hosts within 31-19 at intermission.

Bluffton then rode the 6-2 Grandey in the third period to methodically claw its way back into contention. Grandey sank four free throws and a lefty traditional three-point play inside in the stanza to lead the Pirates on a 14-7 run.

Mustang Soraya Jackson canned a layup off a nice rebound and dish by Young. Young hit a lane bank shot, and Miller drilled a right corner three to put AE on top 38-27 with 2:05 left in the period.

Dearth swished a left baseline 15-footer, and four foul shots edged the Pirates within 38-33 at the of the quarter. Bluffton made seven of 13 free tosses in the period or it would have been even closer.

“We came out flat in the third period,” Montgomery admitted.

But they came out firing in the fourth period. Nickles converted two quick putback baskets. The hustling Jones put in a rebound shot, and the 5-2 Young added a stickback inside to extend the lead to 48-35 with 5:55 remaining.

Macy Schaadt scored the only Bluffton basket in the Mustang 10-2 flurry on a driving layup.

Miller kept the run going when she nailed a 10-footer and a splashed triple from the top of the key to stretch the margin to 53-35 with 4:20 left. Another Nickles offensive rebound basket provided the final AE basket.

Utendorf made a nice baseline-driving layup for the last Pirate points. AE then ran off the final 95 seconds with a delay game. 

“Hats off to them, they have some good players that made plays when they needed them,” Burris noted.

“We had five different players score in the fourth quarter,” said Montgomery. “Ella came in and hit some shots, she is a fantastic shooter.

“Taylor did a good job cleaning up around the basket.”

Grandey was the lone Pirate in double figures with 16 points. Dearth netted eight points, and Utendorf added five.

Young led balanced AE with 13 markers. Nickles netted a career-high 12 points, and Miller poured in 11 key points off the pines. 

“Our press looked good, and we attacked the rim,” said Montgomery. “Aubrey Young really stepped up, as did Ella and Taylor. We got contributions from everyone.”

Jones and Brooks were limited to seven points apiece, but others stepped up. The tenacious Jones came up with seven steals as well. 

“We are a young, inexperienced team with one returning letter winner so we are hoping we will continue to get better with experience,” Burris explained. 

“I am sure we will have our growing pains, but as long as we have an upward trajectory that’s all we can ask for,” he added.

Bluffton shot 12 for 23 from the foul line (52 percent) while AE sank just three of 11 charity stripers (27 percent).

The Pirates canned 11 two-point goals and connected on just one trifecta. The Mustangs sank 20 deuces and four triples, including three off the bench by Miller.

“It wasn’t perfect but we played well, minus the third period lapse,” Montgomery summed up. 

The Pirates entertain non-league foe Miller City Nov. 30.

Bluffton 37 (1-1)

Cross 0 1-4 1, Dearth 4 0-0 8, Schweingruber 0, Warren 0, Schaadt 1 2-2 4, Utendorf 2 1-4 5, Grandey 4 7-9 16, Bassett 0 1-2 1. 

Totals: 11-1/12-23/37. 3-pointers: Grandey 1.

AE 55 (2-0)

Jones 3 1-4 7, Brooks 3 1-2 7, Nickles 6 0-0 12, Young 6 0-0 13, Jackson 1 1-5 3, Richardson 1 0-0 2, Miller 4 0-0 11.

Totals: 20-4/3-11/55. 3-pointers:  Miller 3, Young 1.

1 2 3 4 F

Blf 9 10 14 4 37

AE 18 13 7 17 55

In the third-place game Friday night, Arlington ran out to a big lead and defeated Cory-Rawson 42-33.

Hornet Chelci McVetta hit two late triples and scored a game-high 18 points to rally C-R, but it was not enough.

Julia Stewart led Arlington (1-1) with 12 points and was named to the all-tournament team, along with McVetta.

Cory mustered just one first half basket, a trey, as the Red Devils built a 24-10 intermission bulge. C-R won the second half, 23-18.

Cory-Rawson (0-2) plays at Ada (0-1) November 28. The Bulldogs lost their opener 54-29 at McComb Friday.

1 2 3 4 F

C-R 5 5 13 10 33

Arl 14 10 9 9 42