McKenzie’s Lady Rebels heralded the return of its reigning Class A Miss Basketball winner Savannah Davis, who suffered a hand injury early in the season.
And she responded.
Davis scored the first two McKenzie points, finished with 21 as the Lady Rebels secured a key District 11A victory over visiting Houston County Friday night, 73-62.
In the night cap, Tate Surber came to life with 29 points as the Rebels topped the Fighting Irish in overtime, 65-55.
In the opener, McKenzie broke open a close game with a 14-5 run that resulted in a 30-17 Lady Rebel lead. Sophie Pate and Davis each delivered triples during the spree. Houston County did cut it to eight points after a three from Houston County’s Kennedy Jones. McKenzie led 32-24 at that point in the second. ,
Katie Chesser’s three was sandwiched between a pair of buckets from Kylie Reynolds and Mikaela Reynolds in the final two minutes of the second and McKenzie led 41-28 at the break.
Karlie Stinson’s three cut McKenzie’s margin to 10, 46-36, early in the third, but Davis and Briley Auvenshine scored to propel MHS back in front, 50-36.
In the final frame, McKenzie authored a 16-point, 67-51 lead, but Houston County stormed back. Stinson dropped in a pair of three throws, then converted a three-point play to draw the Lady Irish within eight, 71-63. Houston County would get no closer.
Stinson led Houston County with 23, Josey Gant recorded 13, R’Shont’e Kizer added eight and Jones seven.
Following Davis’s 21, Mikaela Reynolds scored 19, Kylie Reynolds deposited 16 and Chesser had nine.
Houston County bows to 12-3, 2-1 in the district. McKenzie improves to 12-6, 2-0 in district action.
In the nightcap, Tate Suber’s 29 points propelled the Rebels to a pivotal 65-55 victory over visiting Houston County.
In a tight, back-and-forth game, the game boiled down what amounted to a free-throw exibition in overtime.
Regulation ended with the game deadlocked at 52. Surber began the extra session with a bucket that put the Rebels in front. Then Houston County’s leading scorer Tate Finley fouled out of the game with four minutes remaining in the extra period. He left the game with 20 points.
Bryson Steele connected on his free throws. Surber was next with two more, then again, two more. Houston County’s Kollin Hibbler drained a three and trimmed McKenzie’s eight-point advantage to five, 60-55. But the Irish would get no closer.
Cameron Kee scored and Stafford Roditis put the finishing touches on the victory with his two free throws.
Houston County maintained an early lead in a sloppy game, which was riddled with foul calls. In the first half alone, there were 25 fouls called between the two teams. The Irish took a 15-13 lead after one and held a 26-25 advantage at the break.
Roditis and Surber flushed consecutive triples to start late in the fourth and the Rebels enjoyed a 50-47 advantage, until Hibbler dropped in his three bomb to tie it. Surber’s bucket boosted McKenzie back in front 52-50, but Houston County’s Clayton Mitchell tied it before the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime.
Following Finley’s 20, Logan Medders scored 12 to lead Houston County.
After Surber’s 29, Roditis scored 11, Bryson Steele tossed in 10 and Zach Aird added nine.
Houston County visits Waverly Tuesday then travels to Big Sandy Friday.
McKenzie hosts McEwen Friday for another key District battle.
