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REGION CHAMPS

Viqueens battle to take home region crown

By RICKEY CLARDY ~ Sports Writer
Posted 3/3/22

WHITES CREEK — Hard work and perseverance brought about a reward for the Community Viqueens Wednesday night.  The Viqueens used an effective offensive scheme that produced several points …

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REGION CHAMPS

Viqueens battle to take home region crown

Posted

WHITES CREEK — Hard work and perseverance brought about a reward for the Community Viqueens Wednesday night.  
The Viqueens used an effective offensive scheme that produced several points from inside the paint and some key baskets from the perimeter while the defense played lights out for 32 minutes as the Viqueens took home the Region 4-AA championship by defeating the East Nashville Lady Eagles 53-41.
Community (25-7) never trailed in the contest, but the game was not without its anxious moments as the Viqueens thwarted every Lady Eagle comeback attempt to take home its first region championship since 2016.
"We knew it was going to be a challenge tonight and the team was up for it and we got it done," Coach Cody Pierce of the Viqueens said.
Despite traveling a large distance to play East Nashville in a gym where the Lady Eagles had recently won the District 8-AA championship, the Viqueens came out of the gate hot and were not deterred by the surroundings.
Haley Mitchell connected on two treys to give the Viqueens an early 6-2 first-quarter lead. 
M.J. Simmons scored six points from her post position as Community used a 9-0 run to take a 12-2 lead with 2:23 remaining.  The Lady Eagles battled back to cut the deficit in the final minutes as the Viqueens took a 16-8 lead to the second quarter.
"We did a good job making good passes and we got some layups out of them and we hit some big shots outside," Pierce said.
Mitchell drilled her third trey as the Viqueens took a 21-10 lead with 6:11 left.  The Lady Eagles fought back with a 6-0 run and trailed 25-20 with 19 seconds remaining before the momentum went back to Community in the waning seconds.
After the Viqueens passed the ball for the last shot, Addison Brothers was fouled attempting a three-pointer just before the buzzer. 
Brothers connected on all three free throws to give the Viqueens a 28-20 lead at the intermission.
As East Nashville pumped up the heat with a swarming full-court defense the entire second half, the Viqueens were challenged to defend the ball and their lead.
The Lady Eagles cut the Viqueen lead to 28-24 in the third quarter before a three-pointer by Brothers stymied the East Nashville comeback. 
Community could only manage eight points in the quarter and saw Breanna Whitaker pick up her fourth foul, but the Viqueen defense only allowed 10 Lady Eagle points as the Viqueens took a 36-30 advantage to the final quarter.
The Viqueen prospects looked to take a nosedive early in the quarter as Simmons picked up her fourth foul while the Lady Eagle defense kept the pressure on.  An East Nashville three-pointer cut the Viqueen lead to 38-37 with 5:18 remaining.
"Whitaker and M.J. both had four fouls, but I told them I trust you and you've both got to stay out there," Pierce said.
With an energized Lady Eagle crowd providing plenty of vocal support for its Nashville team, the next four minutes would be key in determining which trophy would be coming back to Unionville.
Whitaker broke the ice with a basket while Simmons scored five consecutive points, including a three-point play that gave the Viqueens a 45-37 lead with 3:46 left.  Mitchell canned her fourth trey while Brothers added two foul shots as Community turned a one-point lead into a 50-37 advantage with a 12-0 run and 1:38 left.
The Lady Eagles would not get closer than 10 as the Viqueens took the hard-fought win.
"East Nashville is a really good ball team," Pierce said. "We knew we couldn't turn it over and we had to be more physical and had to box out and make them hit some contested shots and that's what we did."          
Simmons scored 16 points to lead three Viqueens in double figures. 
Mitchell had 14 points while Whitaker added 10.
Emani Wofford and Paige Wallace each had 10 points to lead the Lady Eagles.
The Viqueens were 12-of-19 at the free throw line while East Nashville was 7-of-13.
Brothers, Mitchell, and Simmons were named to the 4-AA All-Region tournament team with Simmons taking MVP honors.
With the win, Community will host York Institute at 7 p.m. Saturday night in the sectional round of the Class AA tournament. 
The winner will punch a ticket to the TSSAA state tournament next week.
York Institute lost to Westmoreland 33-26 in the Region 3-AA final.
Pierce knows there is still business ahead as the sectional game approaches.
"It's still a quick turnaround and we've got two days to prepare," Pierce said.
"But the good thing is we're at home."                                                                                             
        
Community      16  12   8   17 — 53
East Nashville    8  12  10  11 — 41
 
Community: M. J. Simmons 16, Haley Mitchell 14, Breanna Whitaker 10, Addison Brothers 8, Zoey Dixon 5, Shelby Cawthon, Jacey Collier, Izzy Martinez.
East Nashville: Emani Wofford 10, Kenya Fairs 5, Ayanna Kinnard 4, Jayla Horton 4, Jaslynn Walter 2, Paige Wallace 10, Jaymeshia Davis 4, Cleo Johnson 2.
3-Point goals: Community (5): Mitchell 4, Brothers; East Nashville (2): Wallace 2.
Halftime score: Community 28, East Nashville 20.