Lady Mikes still own bragging rights over Mapletown
CARMICHAELS — Carmichaels still owns the bragging rights over Mapletown.
Thanks to realignment, the Lady Maples will be forced to wait until next season for a chance to put an end to a long-running drought.
The Lady Mikes closed the third quarter with a 10-0 run, and went on to defeat visiting Mapletown, 45-26, in non-section action Friday night.
After facing each other twice per season for decades, Carmichaels and Mapletown will face each other just one time for the second consecutive season.
The teams met just a single time last season after bad weather forced the cancellation of a second game.
Carmichaels (3-2) has won the past 19 meetings between the schools. Mapletown last defeated the Lady Mikes on Jan. 4, 2007.
“It’s weird,” Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs said. “We won’t see Jefferson-Morgan this year either. A lot of rivalries have changed … you’re not going to see those games because of realignment. The girls always enjoy the games because they know some of the other girls on the other team.”
Carmichaels’ Kaitlyn Wilson scored a game-high 13 points and also connected on a pair of 3-pointers.
Wilson’s basket with 2:56 remaining in the third quarter started the 10-point run, and following a put-back by Kristina Aeschbacher, Wilson knocked down her first trey 30 seconds later to give the Lady Mikes a 30-16 lead.
Despite committing several first-half turnovers, Mapletown (1-4) never trailed by more than single digits before Carmichaels’ run to close the third quarter.
“Our girls have played tough all year no matter what the score is,” Lady Maples coach Erik Smith said.
Aeschbacher and Natalie McNett added nine points each for Carmichaels, which led 11-9 after one quarter, and 19-13 at halftime.
Thanks to pressure by its defense, Carmichaels forced Mapletown into 10 first-quarter turnovers, and the Lady Mikes jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
Mapletown sophomore Kayla Smith was the tallest player on the court, but the Lady Maples had a difficult time throughout the game getting her the ball.
“If you can put a lot of pressure on anybody, they’re bound to make mistakes,” McCombs said. “We put pressure on their guards and made them put the ball on the floor, and it was hard for them to look inside.”
Smith paced Mapletown with 10 points, seven of which came during the second half.
“I was disappointed in some of our play,” Smith said. “We didn’t box out, and we could have had the rebound had we done that. We talked to the girls about relaxing and going out and making plays. It’s not like we haven’t faced pressure before.”
Non-section
Mapletown 聽 聽9-4-5-8 — 26
Carmichaels 11-8-14-12 — 45
Mapletown: Kayla Smith 10. Carmichaels: Kaitlyn Wilson 13. Records: Mapletown (1-4), Carmichaels (2-2).