MT. JULIET — This is what the Lebanon-Mt. Juliet rivalry should look like.
A series which dates to 1926 and has had some classic matchups has also often seen one team be much better than the other. In this case, both are coming off district championships and sectional appearances before being reunited in the same district this year.
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In the latest edition, Lebanon’s early lead was a memory by the time Addy Osborne’s foul-line jumper swished through the net with three seconds to play, lifting Mt. Juliet to a 47-45 win over the Devilettes last Friday night.
“I love playing them because they are a premier team, not just in Wilson County but in the whole state,” said Lady Bear coach Jeremy Hawks, an MJHS graduate. “They’re a machine. Tonight was just a great atmosphere from top to bottom.”
“They probably liked it a little better than we did,” Lebanon coach Cory Barrett said. “But what a great atmosphere. Kids battled their tails off. They wanted it just a little bit more than we did over the course of 32 minutes. But it’s early in the season and we’re right where we need to be. We just need to focus on things we need to keep getting better.”
Elle Beth McDonald had just dropped in two free throws with 14 ticks to draw the Devilettes into a 45-45 deadlock. This was after Aaliyah Holman’s driving layup put the Lady Bears up 45-43 with 44 ticks left. Lebanon trailed 43-36 early in the fourth quarter before Tramaria Neal’s inside basket capped a 7-0 LHS run for a 43-43 tie with 2:21 to play.
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Lebanon scored the first eight points of the game before Mt. Juliet coach Jeremy Hawks called timeout. From then on, the Lady Bears worked their way back in, drawing to an 11-11 tie on two free throws by Osborne in the final minute of the first quarter.
“That was a stretch where they started playing harder than we did overall and obviously, we got in some foul trouble, and obviously that’s no excuse,” Barrett said. “We got to play the game and we got to control what we can control, and we didn’t do enough of that tonight.”
A transition basket by McDonald early in the second put Lebanon back in front and the Devilettes led by as much as 18-11. But the Lady Bears battled back. A 3-pointer from the wing by Osborne gave the hosts their first lead of the night at 27-24 and a putback by McClaine Ringenberg opened a 30-26 halftime lead.
The Lady Bears led the entire third quarter, opening a 41-32 margin before the Devilettes drew to within 41-35 going into the fourth.
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“We definitely started slow,” Hawks said. “We didn’t come out and hit very many shots. It was not happening for us. But one thing about this team is they have a lot of fight, have a lot of heart. They don’t quit. We’re young still, we make a lot of mistakes. But at the end of the day, they will run through a wall for me and I love everything about them.
“Our bread and butter is our press. That’s basically what we’re known for… We wanted to put as much pressure on them as we could for as long as we could and see how they responded to it.”
Osborns sank 5 of 6 free throws and two triples in leading the Lady Bears with 17 points. Ryleigh Clayton also connected on a pair of treys as she and Makayla Hopson each added eight points while Ringenberg scored six, Holman five and Claire Emery three as Mt. Juliet’s first win over Lebanon since 2019 moved MJ to 7-3 for the season and 2-0 in District 7-4A.
McDonald drained two triples in the second quarter and led Lebanon with 14 points while Neal notched 13 from the post, an area where overall the Devilettes fell into foul trouble. Tiara Spencer scored seven points, Maggie Kelley six, Naleiya Withrow-Walker three and Audrey Jones two as LHS fell to 6-1, 1-1.
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Spencer was held in check after having a string of big scoring nights coming in. She had also torched Mt. Juliet in the past.
“Tiara’s a great player and can really shoot the ball well,” Hawks said. “We were definitely focused on that. Last year when we played them here it was a close game in the first half and then Tiara came out and hit, like, seven 3s in the third quarter.
“She’s an outstanding shooter. Tonight, it wasn’t falling for her. I told the girls yes, this is a big win, but more than likely we’re going to see them at least two or three more times.”
“I’m never going to say a loss is good for you, but Mt. Juliet deserved to win the game tonight,” Barrett said. “They had a great crowd, great student section. Our crowd was great, got fired up. This is what Lebanon and Mt. Juliet are supposed to be about and hopefully next time we’ll come out on top.”
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Friendship drops three
Goodpasture pitched a first-quarter shutout Monday night in a 61-32 win at Friendship Christian’s Bay Family Sportsplex.
The Lady Cougars scored the first 20 points before Norah Box converted a coast-to-coast layup early in the second.
But Goodpasture junior guard Brooklyn Jones, the smallest player on the floor, had the biggest impact with 34 points, including eight 3-pointers. Half of her triples came during the first quarter and she also had at least one assist during the opening run.
Friendship fought back to slow the onslaught as the Lady Commanders trailed 30-7 at halftime. They outscored the Lady Cougars 18-16 during the third period.
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Box led the Lady Commanders with 12 points while her eighth-grade teammate Haivyn Boone added all of her eight during the third quarter. Freshman Ella Bryson scored six points while D’Nora Owens and Natalie major each managed three.
In a late-scheduled Saturday matinee, Friendship fell to visiting Pope John Paul II 51-36 at the Sportsplex.
The Lady Knights led 10-5 at the first-quarter break, 26-16 at halftime and 41-28 going into the fourth.
McKenna Miller led the Lady Knights with 11 points while Brooke Dyer dropped in 10.
Box led all scorers with 15 points for Friendship while Owens added six, Major four; Kaitlyn Danilaitis, Maggie Reed and Annika Langford three each and Bella Ellis two.
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The Lady Commanders were coming off a 68-29 loss at Clarksville Academy in their District 4-II A opener.
The Lady Cougars dominated from the start, leading 23-3 at the first-quarter break and 36-11 at halftime.
Sicily Robinson racked up 23 points, Trinity Bankston 16 (sinking 7 of 8 from the free-throw line) and Layla Clark and Camille Thomas 10 apiece for Clarksville Academy.
Box buried a pair of 3s to lead the Lady Commanders with six while Ellie, Khloe Smith and Ella Bryson each finished with four, Danilaitis and Haivyn Boone three apiece, Reed and Langford two each and Major a free throw.
Lady Wildcats rout Gallatin, fall to Oakland
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GLADEVILLE — Wilson Central dominated Gallatin from start to finish in an 81-22 trouncing last Friday night.
The Lady Wildcats led 28-6 at the first-quarter brreak and 54-14 at halftime as they bounced back from their first loss of the season to move to 8-1 overall and 1-1 in District 7-4A.
Freedom Pfeil fired in three 3-pointers and Ellie Ramsey two as each led the Lady Wildcats with 15 points. Both also had six rebounds apiece while combining for nine assists and six steals.
Brylee Fly finished with 10 rebounds and Kylie Moss seven as both tossed in 10 points. Madison Jackson added eight points while Kiley Jo Byrom and Emma Jackson each finished with five, Annie Wilson four; Riley Mirghavami, Sophia Cooper, Kiaya Seats and Olivia Kinning scored two apiece and Alexis Jackson a free throw.
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Central followed with a 56-53 loss to visiting Oakland on Monday.
The Lady Wildcats had a 15-14 first-quarter edge before the Lady Patriots enjoyed a 31-30 advantage at halftime and 41-39 going into the fourth.
Kinning connected on two triples and Ramsey on all four of her free throws as they and Fly each finished with eight points for Central. Moss and Pfeil each added eight points, Byrom five and Alexis Jackson two. Moss took down 10 rebounds as she and Pfeil each had five assists. Moss also had four steals.
Watertown conquers Monterey, Livingston
MONTEREY — Four Lady Tigers scored in double figures last Friday night as Watertown roared past Monterey 70-33.
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Dailey Hight hit five 3-pointers for her 15 points. Maddie Willard drained two triples for half of her 12. Macie Brelje added 11 and Bryley Bowers sank 6 of 8 free throws on her way to 10. Larkin Cherry added eight points, Julianna Pruitt seven, Addison Aguillard a 3 and Izzie Burns and Kayla Stanley two apiece.
The Lady Tigers led 21-8 at the first-quarter break and 45-13 at halftime.
Haylee Trevethan led the Lady Wildcats with 21 points, including a pair of 3s.
The Lady Tigers returned home Monday and overtook visiting Livingston Academy 36-28 by pitching a fourth-quarter shutout.
Livingston led 13-9 following the first quarter, 23-14 at halftime and 28-24 through three before the Lady Purple Tigers roared back with a 12-0 fourth.
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Bralje led the Lady Tigers with 10 points. Burns and Molly Followill each scored six, Willard five, Bowers four, Pruitt a 3 and Hight two.
Lady Bears use big third quarter to pull away from Rockvale
ROCKVALE — Mt. Juliet followed its win over Lebanon with a 61-49 non-district victory at Rockvale on Monday night.
The Lady Bears led 12-8 at the first-quarter break before Rockvale drew to within 27-26 by halftime. Mt. Juliet broke it open in the third with a 20-5 quarter for a 47-31 lead a MJ moved to 8-3 for the season.
McClaine Ringenberg rang up two 3-pointers in leading the Lady Bears with 16 points while Addy Osborne tossed in 12. Claire Emery totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds. Aaliyah Holman had nine points, Makayla Hopson seven, Ryleigh Clayton five and Sophia McGresham two.
Amaya Nash led the Lady Rockets with 24 points, including a pair of 3s and an 8-for-8 outing from the free-throw line. She also pulled down eight rebounds.
