FARMINGTON -- Farmington suffered its first girls basketball loss of the season during a Dec. 5 tournament game against Macon County, of Lafayette, Tenn., by a score of 66-57 during the Lady Golden Eagle Invitational hosted by Greene County Tech.
The Lady Tigers saved their best quarter for last, outscoring Farmington 26-14 in the fourth to wipe out a 43-40 Farmington lead at the end of the third. Farmington was down four at the half, 26-22, then made a big run in the third quarter and moved in front by as much as seven points. Macon County closed out the third to get back within three, 43-40, and made their run in the fourth quarter.
"To their credit they did a great job of hitting free throws. You could tell they were a really good basketball team. They were a senior-laden team," said Farmington coach Brad Johnson. "They've got tremendous guards, several college-bound guards and it was like a heavyweights prize fight. We would lay a big punch and then they would come back and lay a big punch. We just traded blows back and forth like that and unfortunately for us they got the last run of the game."
Jalynn Gregory's 3-pointer put Farmington in an early 7-3 hole with 4:47 to go in the first quarter. She hit another giving Macon County a 14-12 lead with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter. Audrey Culpepper made a 3-pointer for Farmington in the first, but turnovers against full-court pressure as well as in a half-court set hurt the Lady Cardinals. Neither team scored for the final 1:20 with Macon County holding a 16-13 edge.
Culpepper and Joelle Tidwell knocked down trifectas in the second period, but Macon County took a 23-17 lead midway through the quarter on Keeley Carter's coast-to-coast play when a rebound was tipped out to her.
K.K. Mix and Jamie Ashburn hit 3-pointers for Macon County, which produced 7 fewer points than the Lady Cardinals (21-14) in the third quarter which ended with Tori Kersey blocking a shot in the lane.
Once Macon County got ahead in the fourth quarter they spread the floor, milking the clock and extending possessions.
The loss occurred despite the Lady Cardinals shooting better. Farmington made 54 percent of its shots from the field and 56 percent on 3-point attempts. Macon County connected at a 49 percent clip for total field goals and was good (45 percent) from 3-point range. At the free throw line, Macon County made 81 percent to Farmington's 75 percent.
Macon County, Tenn., 66, Farmington 57
Macon County^16^10^14^26 -- 66
Farmington^13^9^21^14 -- 57
Macon County (5-1): Jamie Ashburn 8 0-0 20, Keeley Carter 5 6-6 17, Jalynn Gregory 3 7-7 15, K.K. Mix 2 0-0 5, Abby Shoulders 2 0-2 5, Marah King 2 0-0 4. Totals 22 13-15 66.
Farmington (7-1): Makenna Vanzant 4-8 7-8 17, Tori Kersey 5-7 4-6 14, Audrey Culpepper 6-10 0-0 13, Joelle Tidwell 3-7 1-2 8, Trinity Johnson 1-4 0-0 3, Carson Dillard 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 20-37 12-16 57.
3-point Goals -- Macon County -- 9 (Ashburn 4, Gregory 2, Carter, Mix, Shoulders). Farmington -- 5-9 (Vanzant 2-2, Culpepper 1-2, Tidwell 1-1, Trinity Johnson 1-4).
Rebounds -- Macon County 21, Farmington 16 (Culpepper 7). Assists -- Macon County 14, Farmington 16 (Kersey 5). Steals -- Macon County 7, Farmington 3 (Culpepper 2). Blocks -- Macon County 1, Farmington 3 (Kersey 2). Turnovers -- Farmington 15.
Sports on 01/01/2020