By Charles Curcio, Sports Editor
Thursday, January 8, 2009 — Albemarle’s basketball teams split a doubleheader on Wednesday night on the road at Forest Hills.
Albemarle 58, F. Hills 23
The Albemarle girls’ basketball team bounced back from a road loss Monday night with a win on the road Wednesday.
Using a big opening run, the Bulldogs won easily at Forest hills 58-23.
Paige McConologue led Albemarle (7-2, 5-1 RRC) with 15 points with Tracey Jones adding 14 and Zuzanna Smrckova putting in 10 points.
Whitley McCray came off the bench for Forest Hills (11-0, 6-0 RRC) for five points, leading the Jackets.
Albemarle turned the game into a rout almost from the opening tip, starting the game with a 16-0 run over the first 5:41 of the period.
The Yellow Jackets would cut the lead to 12 midway through the second period, but Albemarle would open the lead back up to 16 by halftime at 27-11.
The Bulldogs opened up the period much they way the did the opening period: on a big run.
Albemarle would score the first 10 points of the period and would not allow a Jacket field goal until nearly six minutes had passed.
“We controlled the ball much better tonight on offense. I was very pleased with our hustle tonight,” Albemarle head coach Stephanie Lowder said.
A 20 7 12 19 58
FH 4 7 7 5 23
A – Paige McConologue 15, Tracey Jones 14, Zuzanna Smrckova 10, Freeman 6, Lowder 6, Davis 2.
FH – McCray 5, Adams 4, S. Allen 4, Gaddy 3, W. Allen 2, Corley 2, Potter 2.
F. Hills 83, Albemarle 50
The Albemarle boys’ basketball team went on the road Wednesday night to face the Rocky River Conference-leading Forest Hills Yellow Jackets.
A big second-quarter run by the Jackets led to an 83-50 win over the Bulldogs.
Denico Autry led Albemarle (6-2, 4-2 RRC) with 15 points and Jaquale Watson added 11.
Brandon Glenn paced the Jackets (11-0, 7-0 RRC) with 18 points as four Forest Hills players reached double figures.
Forest Hills got a big boost from diminutive point guard Dre Huntley in the first half. The 5’ 3” point guard scored all of his 17 points in the first half, 11 in the second quarter.
That period was a turning point in the game as the Bulldogs stayed with the Jackets through the first quarter.
Trailing 16-12 with two minutes on the clock, Albemarle would close out the period on a 6-1 burst. A J.J. Deans three-pointer with 10 seconds left gave the Bulldogs an 18-17 lead.
In the second period, Albemarle led 20-17 on an Autry bucket at the 7:21 mark. Huntley would spark a 15-0 run over the next three minutes, scoring seven in the run that forced two timeouts from Albemarle. Huntley and Glenn’s first-half efforts gave the Jackets a 14-point lead at halftime.
Albemarle struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 7-of-21 from the stripe while Forest Hills was 9-of-12.
Albemarle will host Mt. Pleasant on Friday night.
A 18 10 12 10 50
FH 17 25 17 24 83
A – Denico Autry 15, Jaquale Watson 11, Deans 8, Sellars 5, Dunlap 4, Gould 2, Polk 2, Poole 2.
FH – Brandon Glenn 18, Dre Huntley 17, Mark Clyburn 13, Houston Wingo 10, Green 6, Lotharp 6, Gibson 5, Smith 4, Griffen 2, Johnson 2
