By: Delaney McGuire
Carter County Times
The West Carter Lady Comets advanced to Thursday’s 62nd District championship game after beating the East Carter Lady Raiders on Monday night, with a final score of 66-36.
East Carter lost by only four points to the Comets a week before, raising the tension as the rivals
entered the 62nd District Semifinals. But the Raiders were unable to build the momentum needed to overcome the West Carter offense.
West Carter took the lead early with an 18-0 run, and ending the first period at 21-18.
Millie Henderson led West Carter in points after making a pair of three-pointers in the opening quarter.
Along with Henderson’s additional four points, Allie Stone nailed another three-pointer in the second quarter, holding the East girls scoreless and ending the half with the Lady Comets leading the Raiders 44-18.
East was able to rally a little in the second half, adding another 11 points to their total. But by the end of the third quarter, West led East Carter by thirty points, 59-29.
Maci Moore, East Carter’s leading senior, said she is proud of her team, nonetheless.
“Last night was an emotional night not only because of the ending of basketball season but the ending of my career in sports,” Moore said. “I’m so proud of the team and how far we came throughout the season. If it didn’t end up benefiting us last night, it’ll benefit us in the long run.”
The Lady Comets will advance to Thursday’s 62nd District championship game, facing off against Morgan County at East Carter, and next week’s 16th Regional Tournament.
West Carter have had a phenomenal season, currently ranked fourth in the region with a season win-loss record of 21-9 so far.
East Carter ends their season with three wins and 24 losses, ranked in 15th place for the region.
Boys tournament
In the boys’ tournament numbers are a bit closer, with East Carter rebounding from their January 29 47-58 loss to the Comets to win by nine points, 59-50, last week.
The Comets were slated to face Morgan County at home on Tuesday night for their first game in the 62nd District tournament, with final scores unavailable at press time.
The West Carter boys are scheduled to face Elliott County, at East Carter, tonight at 6:30, for their first game in the district tournament.
West went into the tournament with a slight win-loss advantage over the Raiders, however, the teams are very closely matched. The Comets are ranked ninth in the 16th region, with a win-loss record of 11-15, while the East Carter boys are ranked eleventh, with ten wins and 13 losses on their season as of Tuesday morning.
Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com