| Sports
Highlights Lady Pirates sink Lady ’Jackets
Monitor Staff Reports
KEMP–In a key District 13-3A first-round battle, the Crandall Lady Pirates handed the
Kemp Lady Yellowjackets a rare home-court defeat Tuesday night, breaking open a tight,
bruising contest late to win 63-44. 
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Kemp Lady Yellowjacket senior Michelle Ritterbach (23) heads upcourt after grabbing one of
her five rebounds during the first half of the Lady ’Jackets’ 63-44 loss to the
visiting Crandall Lady Pirates Tuesday. Also shown are Kemp Lady ’Jackets Shannon
Shipp and Taylor Day (background) and Crandall’s Emily Kirk (10), Brianna Whisenhunt
(21) and Lauren Shirley (32).
Now 14-9 on the season and 1-1 in district basketball play, the Lady ’Jackets were
scheduled to visit the Mabank Lady Panthers Friday night. Mabank improved to 2-0 in
district play Tuesday with a 60-30 win over hosting Ferris (see related story).
Next Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Kemp girls will host the North Forney Lady Falcons, before
traveling to Kaufman Friday, Jan. 21. Each evening opens with 5 p.m. sub-varsity games.
With a deep bench, the Lady Pirates used bruising, very physical play throughout the
contest, which clearly gave the Lady ’Jackets problems, particularly in the fourth
quarter, when they were outscored 17-3.
Until the final frame, the score stayed close, as the tough defensive play by both teams
resulted in poor shooting and turnovers.
Kemp opened a 10-2 lead in the first quarter, despite missing several open shots, but the
Lady Pirates adjusted and started forcing Kemp into backcourt turnovers, which were
translated into layups.
Crandall took the lead early in the second quarter, but the Lady ’Jackets fought back
to take a narrow lead before the Lady Pirates scored on a layup at the buzzer to take a
30-29 halftime edge.
During the third quarter, both teams continued to be evenly matched, although the Lady
Pirates managed a 16-12 scoring advantage to take a five-point lead, 46-41, going into the
fourth quarter.
“The fourth quarter was a disaster for us, as we made critical turnovers and made
some unwise shot selections, while allowing Crandall to score off penetrations,” Kemp
coach Kent Smith noted later.
“If we can eliminate the mental mistakes, we can make the second game against them
much more interesting,” Smith said.
“We were also done in by a lack of shooting,” he added. “We took at least a
dozen fewer shots than usual – Michelle Ritterbach only took 10 shots, with Brianna
Powell only taking eight – far fewer than usual or needed.
“We also committed an unthinkable 26 turnovers, practically handing Crandall the
game,” Smith said.
Ritterbach finished with just 12 points (including one trey), five rebounds, one block and
three assists, while Powell had 11 points (two treys) and five assists.
Taylor Day finished with eight points and four rebounds, Kandace Rose finished with seven
points, one block and seven rebounds, and Shannon Shipp had five points, two blocks and
four rebounds.
Panthers claw Canton, 69-27
Monitor Staff Report
MABANK–A big edge in quickness, particularly on the defensive end, translated into an
easy 69-27 victory for the Mabank Panthers Tuesday night over the visiting Canton Eagles.
Now 7-11 on the season, the Panthers were scheduled to open District 13-3A basketball play
at home against the Kemp Yellowjackets Friday night. 
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Mabank Panther junior Chans Hall (right) shoves Canton Eagle Brad Wiggins (32) out of the
way as he tries to rebound a missed free throw during the third quarter of Mabank's
dominating 69-27 win over the visiting Eagles Tuesday. Hall was tagged with a foul on the
play.
Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Panthers will host the Crandall Pirates, and Friday, Jan. 21,
Mabank’s boys will travel to North Forney for a matchup against the Falcons. Each
evening opens with 5 p.m. sub-varsity contests.
There wasn’t much drama in the Panthers’ final non-district game Tuesday, as a
handful of spectators watched Mabank blow out to an 18-2 lead in the first quarter and a
34-6 halftime advantage.
Canton really didn’t get that many offensive tries, as the much quicker Panthers
clogged the passing lanes and grabbed steals and loose balls on many Eagle possessions.
On defense, the Eagles couldn’t match Mabank’s speed down the court, or their
rebounding efforts.
Canton outscored the Panthers in only one period, the fourth quarter, 11-7, but by that
time, Mabank was already up by 36 and emptying the bench.
Ten of the 11 Panthers suited up for the game scored, with just two – Jordan Allen
(17) and Brandon Hatfield (11) in double figures.
T.C. Greene finished with nine points, with Chase Graham adding eight, Hunter Carrico
seven, Ryan Walker five and Chans Hall four, Tyler Peebles and Jacob Ortiz three points
each, and David Marler two points.
Brad Wiggins led the Eagles with 15 points, as Tre Shiefer had six and David Aaron, Eric
Walters and Garrett Rose all scored two points each.
Earlier, the teams split two sub-varsity contests, with Canton winning the freshman game
44-35 and Mabank winning the junior varsity tilt, 51-36.
In the freshman contest, the Eagles took charge early, running up a 27-12 halftime lead
and maintaining that edge until late in the contest.
Cameron Castellano led the Panthers with a game-high 14 points.
In the JV game, the Panthers took charge from the start, opening an 18-5 lead in the first
quarter behind a trio of 3-point baskets from Taylor Willeford, who led them with 17
points.
Mabank led by 10 at halftime, 22-12, and opened a 20-point lead, 41-21, going into the
fourth quarter.
In addition to Willeford’s 17, the Panthers also got eight points from both Chris
Newton and Zack Dillon.
Mabank girls now 2-0
Monitor Staff Reports
FERRIS–A big third quarter helped propel the visiting Mabank Lady Panthers past the
Ferris Lady Yellowjackets, 60-30, Tuesday night.
Now 14-9 on the season and 2-0 in District 13-3A basketball play, the Lady Panthers were
scheduled to host the Kemp Lady Yellowjackets Friday night.
Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Lady Panthers are scheduled to host the Crandall Lady Pirates, and
Friday, Jan. 21, the Lady Panthers will visit the North Forney Lady Falcons. Both evenings
open with 5 p.m. sub-varsity games.
At Ferris Tuesday, the Lady Panthers forged a 10-5 lead in the first quarter and outscored
Ferris 11-8 in the second to take an eight-point halftime lead, 21-13.
In the third quarter, however, the Lady Panthers came out smoking, outscoring the Lady
Yellowjackets 26-11 to take a commanding 23-point lead into the fourth quarter, 47-24.
In the final frame, Mabank outscored Ferris 13-6 to forge the final 30-point margin.
Freshman Makenna Allen led the Lady Panthers with 16 points, with senior Sara Springer
adding 13 and junior Olivia Pannell scoring 11.
Cheyenne Alldredge added eight points, with Molly Groom scoring six, Ashton Norman five
and Natalie Torres adding a free throw.
No Ferris girl scored in double figures, as Summer McGuire led them with nine points.
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