Getting defensive: Vikes smother Champs

Community Junior High mixed a tenacious defense and a balanced scoring attack to bake a 46-22 victory over host Cascade Middle on Thursday night.

Cascade's Andy Lawson (50) and Community's Austin Carpenter lunge for a rebound. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

The Champions (1-2) were held without a field goal for the first 9:04 before a Jake Pimental basket. By that time the Vikings (2-2) had already tallied 10 points of their own and eventually increased that advantage to 20-9 at the half.

"We probably spend 70 percent of practice working on defense," said Community coach Jace Bryant, whose team never trailed. "The last two games against Eagleville and (Middle Tennessee Christian), we just let people drive to the bucket and shoot layups on us. The last week we've really worked on pressuring the ball, and if we get beat, someone stopping the ball. Obviously, we're not that big. So, if we can't guard the ball, we're going to be in trouble."

The Vikes got points from five different players in the third quarter and increased their upper hand to 32-20. Zack West's 3-pointer early in the fourth put any hopes of a rally to bed.

Quinn Frost's three 3s helped him to a game-high 10 points for Community, who had nine different boys score. Logan Pierce and Zeke Grissom followed with nine each. West had seven.

"We don't have to worry about setting up plays and running our offense if our defense is good enough," Bryant said. "We'll get the ball, push it, go shoot layups or shoot open 3s. Our goal is to pressure the ball full court, let the defense turn into easy offense."

Pimental's seven points was tops for Cascade. Blake Floyd and Nolan Barnes contributed five apiece.

Both teams struggled at the free-throw line. The Champs were 6-for-19, while the Purple and Gold hit 8-of-18.

Cascade 43, Community 14: The Lady Champions broke free from an 11-all tie with the Viqueens with 21-1 spirt to help propel them to their third straight win. During that spell, the Orange and Black turned up the defensive intensity and didn't allow a field goal the entire second quarter.

Rashonda Johnson (54) hustles to knock a ball away from Viqueen Kristen Brothers. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

"We changed our press up a little bit," Cascade coach Chad Spencer said. "I switched it because I was trying to protect some people in foul trouble. We just wound up executing it better."

Lady Champion Elora Skuce carried a hot hand all game, shooting her way to 15 points to lead all scorers. The eighth grader scored in every quarter and nailed the game's lone 3-pointer, a deep bomb from the top of the key with 4:05 left in the contest. Haley Edmondson found the bottom of the net in every frame as well and totaled 10 points. Kelsey Parker contributed six.

"Our defense came to play tonight. Kelsey Parker rebounded the ball exceptionally well. Haley Edmondson did a good job of running the offense. We just executed," Spencer said.

Megan Smith and Katie Leverette had four of Community's five field goals and scored six points apiece.

Cascade heads to Murfreesboro on Monday to face Middle Tennessee Christian at 6 p.m. The Viqueens travel to Westwood on Nov. 13.