Injuries hamper Lady Wildcats in district loss
Autumn O’Daniel pushes the ball up the court during Friday night’s matchup against the Farragut Admirals. (photo:ORHS Sports Media )
The Lady Wildcats (6-12 overall, 3-5 in the district) got off to a quick start, opening a 16-13 lead in the first quarter. But momentum quickly faded after key injuries and offensive woes set in.
Senior guard Evayia Mitchell, Oak Ridge’s leading scorer, entered the contest battling a lower back injury. Despite being limited, she led the Lady Wildcats with 10 points.
Oak Ridge suffered another setback in the second quarter when post player Alani Mitchell went down with an ankle injury and did not return. She had six points before exiting.
“We had a good game plan going in, but we knew we had concerns about Evayia,” Oak Ridge Coach Kevin Tubbs said. “She was trying to power through it, but she just wasn’t herself. When Alani went down, it took a toll. We had trouble adjusting. Our defense was fine.”
Offensively, the Lady Wildcats stalled after the opening frame, scoring just two points in the second quarter and seven in the third.
“We had another game where we turned the ball over after getting stops and steals,” Tubbs said. “We have to find a way to play well in all four quarters.”
Jenayah Pippins scored eight points before fouling out.
Evelyn Eubanks also had six for Oak Ridge.
Farragut (14-8, 6-2) was led by KJ McNealy with 14 points.
Gabbie VanAcker, seeing her first extended minutes since returning from injury, added 11 points and made three 3-pointers.
