Sports and Outdoors

 Lake Info

Normal Lake Level is 322.00 feet above Mean Sea Level.
Current level for Cedar Creek Lake is: 322.11 Water Temperature:
46  degrees - top
43 degrees - bottom

Wranglers rustle Panthers
Monitor Staff Reports
MESQUITE–A bitterly disappointing basketball campaign came to an end Tuesday in typical fashion, as the Mabank Panthers gave the hosting West Mesquite Wranglers all they wanted before falling, 77-68, in the regular season finale for both teams.
The Panthers finished the District 15-4A slate at 0-12, having dropped almost every game in the second round by 10 points or less.
Against West Mesquite – as in previous contests – the Panthers were within striking distance the entire game, only to fall short on a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter.
The Wranglers opened a 19-15 lead in the fourth quarter behind eight points from Love, while the Panthers countered with eight points (including two treys) from sophomore Jordan Allen.
Mabank cut the Wranglers’ lead to three points by halftime during a fast-paced second quarter, as Allen hit three more treys and Jacob Woodard added a three plus a pair of free throws.
The third quarter proved to be decisive for the Wranglers, as they outscored the Panthers 21-15 to take a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter, 61-52.
In the final frame, both teams scored 16 points, as the Panthers were unable to cut into West Mesquite’s nine-point margin.
Allen finished with a team-high 22 points, as Tyler Fisher hit for 13 (11 in the second half) and both Woodard and Griffin Marshall finished with 12 points each.
The Panthers also got four points from T.C. Greene, three points from James Burkhalter and two points from Unterrious Toliver.
Love led the Wranglers with a game-high 25 points.

Kemp girls fall in bidistrict
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
WILLS POINT–The Kemp Lady Yellowjackets spotted the Rains Lady Wildcats 11 points in the first quarter, and were never able to catch up, falling 65-52 in a bidistrict championship basketball game at Wills Point High School Tuesday night.
The Lady ’Jackets finished their season at 23-10, with an 8-2 District 14-3A record, losing only to No. 24 Canton.
Rains improved to 18-12 after finishing 6-4 in District 13-3A play. The Lady Wildcats will have a bye in the area round, and will face an opponent to be determined in the regional quarterfinals.
“Unfortunately, Rains had a strong post – two, in fact – and what has been our Achilles’ heel all year hurt us again,” second-year Kemp head coach Kent Smith said afterward.

Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Kemp's 5-4 senior guard Brittany Simmons (left) forces Rains' 6-5 freshman post Karla Brichova to fumble during the second half of Rains' 65-52 bidistrict championship win over Kemp Tuesday.

Rains senior post Chelsee Hudson, an all-region selection the last two years, led the Lady Wildcats with 23 points, and junior post Brianna Spigner added 15 points, most of them coming late in the second half to help Rains hold off any Kemp comeback.
“Their posts alone accounted for 38 of their 65 points,” Smith said. “We only had eight points underneath, and couldn’t match them.
“Rebounding underneath was a problem as well,” he added. “Rains did a good job of blocking us out and getting rebounds and put-backs for points.
“When your shooting guard (junior Michelle Ritterbach) has 10 rebounds and is your leading rebounder, it hurts,” Smith said.
Hudson dominated underneath on both ends of the floor during the decisive first quarter, notching four blocks on defense and helping the Lady Wildcats take a 16-5 lead. Rains added another shot late in the quarter to take a 12-point lead, 21-9, at the buzzer.
It didn’t help that the Lady ’Jackets weren’t getting any calls, as they were routinely whistled for fouls while the Lady Wildcats appeared to be more physical, but didn’t pick up any fouls.
Smith changed the Lady ’Jackets from a man defense to a 2-3 zone for the rest of the game, limiting Hudson somewhat, but Spigner was able to attack the weak side of the defense and collect several put-backs.
“Teams that have done well against us all have strong inside games – unfortunately, we drew as our first playoff opponent a team that had it,” Smith said. “With it being tough inside, and our outside just not hitting (6-of-21 from 3-point range), it doomed us.”
After switching to a zone, the Lady ’Jackets played fairly even with Rains for the rest of the game – but they were unable to get any closer, as the Lady Wildcats were able to answer every basket.
Down by 12 after the first quarter, the Lady ’Jackets trailed by 11 at halftime, but the third quarter proved to be a killer, as the Lady Wildcats were able to push their lead out to 14 points, 47-33.
The Lady ’Jackets tried to pick up their defensive pressure in the third quarter, but the officiating made that extremely risky, at best, and Kemp’s shooting touch suffered.
As an example, the Lady ’Jackets pulled back within 12 at 45-33, but missed three shots on one extended possession before Spigner corralled a rebound.
In the fourth quarter, Kemp started pushing just a little too hard, and shot after shot bounced off the iron or missed entirely, or (more distressingly) the Lady ’Jackets turned the ball over without getting a shot off.
After two straight turnovers and two Rains baskets pushed the Lady Wildcats’ lead out to 19 points, 57-38, Smith called time with 5:14 left to play to try to calm the Lady ’Jackets down.
However, the Lady Wildcats were able to match each Kemp basket with one of their own, and didn’t turn the ball over. Spigner gave the Lady Wildcats a 20-point lead at 62-42 with 3:50 to play.
Rains started trying to run a little clock on each possession after that point, and both coaches substituted liberally in the final minute of the contest.
Ritterbach hit a 3-point basket in the final seconds to cut the Rains margin to 13 points.
Three Kemp seniors played their final game after being starters since they were freshmen – Amanda Lawrence and the Simmons twins, Brittany and Brandy.
Lawrence finished with two points, one rebound and one steal, while Brandy Simmons had four points, seven rebounds and one assist.
Brittany Simmons finished with 13 points, two rebounds, one steal and five assists. She also collected her state-leading 28th charge, which ranks her eighth in the nation.
“Whether she retains that spot when the season finishes remains to be seen, as the girl in second place is at (4A) McKinney North with 26, and they are still in the playoffs,” Smith reported.
Sophomore Brianna Powell stepped into the point guard spot during the second half and posted a strong performance, leading the Lady ’Jackets with 14 points (two treys) and collecting six rebounds.
Ritterbach (who had a weather-related automobile accident over the weekend) finished with a double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Ritterbach and Powell return at shooting guard and point guard, respectively, next year, along with posts Shannon Shipp and Kandace Rose, and Smith noted he had a strong foundation to build on for next year’s revised District 13-3A slate.