After almost a week layoff, you would expect a team to be a little rusty.

The Scotland girl’s basketball team managed to shake off the rust just in time to avoid a big upset Monday.

A big first quarter from the Lady Scots, completed a seasonal sweep of Purnell Swett, 50-45.

Scotland moves to 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference. The Lady Rams drop to 5-11 and are still searching for their first conference win, they’re 0-6.

“Close but not quite enough pretty sums up our season,” said Purnell Swett coach Angie Faulkner. “I think the girls were playing not to lose instead of playing to win. We’d get close but couldn’t put get over that hill.”

Scotland jumped out to an early 8-0 lead with 5:28 to play in the first, forcing the Lady Rams to call a quick time-out.

Purnell Swett could get anything to fall into the hoop in the 4:09 of the quarter and Scotland led 18-8 after the first.

The Lady Scots continued to keep a few possessions between themselves and their opposition in the the second quarter, leading by a many as eight (24-16) following a basket from Ariel Ratcliff. She paced Scotland in scoring with 16 points.

“She played very well. We’ve needed that from her the last couple of games,”

Scotland coach David Johnson said of his freshman point guard. “She used good instincts and their and was definitely our playmaker.”

The Lady Scots increased the lead to 13, 38-25, following a basket from Royalanda Odom.

Following a lay-up from Brittany Dockery, both teams went nearly three minutes in the third quarter without scoring a point as Scotland led by ten (41-31) entering the fourth quarter.

Purnell Swett chipped away at Scotland’s lead with 5-0 run over the first four minutes of the fourth before Tierra Pate’s lay-up with four minutes to play, ended a near eight minute field goal drought for the Lady Scots.

The Lady Rams got as close as three, 44-41, with just under two minutes to play following a basket from Kayla Lewis, who led both teams with 17 points.

A traveling call on Deloris Clark with 1:24 and Ratcliff scoring five unanswered points during the stretch, snapped the Lady Scots two-game losing streak.

Dockery and Pate added eight points apiece.

Jonissa Monley wiped up the offensive glass with five rebounds and six total.



Scotland travels to Hoke County at 6 pm this Friday.