DANVILLE – Both the Fairview Lady Aggies and Good Hope Lady Raiders took Thursday's Danville basketball play-day as a learning lesson.
The two ball clubs were operating without key personnel which prompted others to step up their performances in the final day of summer basketball assignments for both.
Fairview had to play without center Abbi Taylor who turned her ankle the week before.
The Lady Aggies adjusted to Taylor's absence and came out with two wins in three tries, taking down Decatur Heritage 63-25 and coming from behind to get past West Limestone 49-42.
Problems shooting the basketball served notice in their final game, a 55-46 loss to James Clemens.
Good Hope began the event without center Kate Kent who was on a mission trip. Then an unfortunate situation happened in the first half of the opening game when backup center Kyler Hembree reportedly broke a bone in her hand and had to go to the hospital.
That left Good Hope with only six people to go to war. The Lady Raiders did well by getting off to a fast start and outscoring Elkmont 49-37, but they were not in sync and suffered a 37-29 defeat to West Limestone then fell to Hartselle Thursday evening 32-22.
Fairview coach Mary Lauren Hartline had her team ready to go with Taylor not in the lineup. A smaller unit appeared on the floor featuring Taylor Yeager at point guard, Abby Schnittker and Jada Golden at shooting guards and McKinna Yearwood and Maci Yeager playing up front.
The Lady Aggies experienced a fine first half with Decatur Heritage, creating a fast pace that the Lady Eagles couldn't slow down. Fairview romped to a 31-15 lead by halftime and stayed efficient with 32 points coming in the second half.
Against West Limestone, the Lady Aggies were down 12-4 early, made adjustments and used deadly three-point shooting by Yeager, Daiyla Dean, Golden and Schnittker to jump ahead and lead at the half 28-21.
Fairview kept West Limestone in check enough with some accuracy from the foul line late and took a 2-0 record into their final assignment in the early afternoon with James Clemens.
The Lady Aggies were behind 25-18 at the break and unable to catch up, trailing by double figures for much of the period. James Clemens iced the game at the line in the closing moments after Fairview had narrowed the gap to 47-41.
For Good Hope, the Hembree injury occurred right around halftime of the opener with Elkmont. The Lady Raiders utilized the play of Kelly Pickett, Miriam Oldacre, Micah Oldacre, Saide Abbott and Makailey Speegle that sent them in front of the Red Devils by the margin of 23-11.
Elkmont drew within seven in the late stages then Pickett and company kept the opponent at arm’s length as they played the second half with just six personnel.
Good Hope fought West Limestone hard with the lineup change. West Limestone scored 13 straight points to overcome a deficit and take a 24-15 lead late in the first half.
The Lady Raiders finished with a spurt, getting a half-court shot by Pickett as time expired to keep them in striking distance at 24-20.
But Good Hope was unable to find consistency at the start of the second half and West Limestone stretched the lead, keeping the Lady Raiders out of a comeback opportunity.
Things didn't start well for Michael Oldacre's team with Hartselle. Four turnovers on their first four possessions, and Good Hope was behind 8-0 after 2:00.
But the Lady Raiders never stopped trying and regained poise. They allowed Hartselle one basket for the final 16:00 of the half and knocked down some shots, including a trey by Speegle before the half ended to get the game even at 10-10.
Good Hope spent much of the second half on the heels of Hartselle, staying within a field goal before the Lady Tigers ended the contest outscoring the Lady Raiders 10-2 in the final 3:00.
A couple of turnovers and Hartselle scoring on consecutive possessions were enough for them to escape the clutches of a team short on personnel, but not on heart or effort.
