Guard Anna Drakeford scored 20 points but seldom had an open shot against GRC's defense. (Les Nicholson Photo)
After a 4-10 start to the season after losing Division I signee Timberlynn Yeast to a season-ending knee injury, not many people thought Mercer County would be playing in the state tournament.
Yet not only did the Titans win the 12th Region, they battled George Rogers Clark on near even terms most of Wednesday night’s game before losing 51-43.
“It was really hard at first,” Mercer junior guard Anna Drakeford, who had 20 points and four rebounds, said. “We have had so many injuries over the past years … we knew how to come together.
“It was hard knowing she (Yeast) was not ever going to come back (and play at Mercer). Our motivation was doing it (getting to state) for her.”
Yeast, a Buffalo signee, was sitting on the postgame podium with Drakeford, Lindsay Jessie and coach Hayley Spivey — a sign of how much Yeast’s teammates and coach respect her.
Yeast praised the work her teammates put in after she was hurt. The Titans had an eight-game win streak coming into the game.
“Nobody expected them to be here. They worked hard and did not listen (to doubters) and just played for our team. I am really proud of these girls,” Yeast said.
So was Spivey, a former Mercer player who was also an assistant coach on Mercer’s two recent state championship teams.
“They played a better game than us. All the credit goes to them,” Spivey said about GRC. “We had a chance to take the lead and struggled to put the ball in the basket.
“I am extremely proud of the way my team played, the toughness they showed and just competitiveness they showed.”
GRC had a size advantage and Mercer tried to spread the floor to get guards Drakeford and Teigh Yeast into the lane. Drake went 8-for-22 from the field and yeast 3-for-11 and seldom did either one have an uncontested look at the basket. Mercer’s other players took just seven total shots and made six.
Jessie had nine points on 4-for-4 shooting. Yeast led Mercer with nine rebounds and five assists.
Spivey said it was not the game plan for Drakeford and Yeast to take almost all the shots but GRC’s size dictated a lot of what happened.
“We needed our guards to control the offense and attack more, get to the rim and take more shots,” Spivey said. “It ended up kind of flowing that way to the Byars’ girls out of the lane and trying to score that way.”
Sophomore Ciara Byars was almost unstoppable late in the game. She finished with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and 6-for-8 at the line. She also had six rebounds. Sister Brianna had 14 points and took over the defensive job against Drakeford in the second half
GRC coach Robbie Graham said the plan was to save fouls and not put Brianna Byars on Drakeford until the second half.
“We knew they would play hard. They go as their guards do,” Graham said. “We had a hard time keeping them out of the lane. It was just a tough matchup for us.”
GRC also got a big contribution from freshman guard Aniya Chestnut. She hit three of five 3-pointers, pulled off six rebounds, handed out two assists and made just one turnover in 29 minutes.
“She is a good rebounder and has a nose for the ball,” Graham said. “A couple of times she let Drakeford get offensive rebounds and did not box out. But she is a really good rebounder for a guard.
“She always shoots well in practice. She had a good game in the region and that carried over and I hope it will carry over to the next game.”
GRC will play North Laurel, a 59-57 winner over Frederick Douglass, in Friday’s quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. after two-time defending state champion Sacred Heart plays Owensboro Catholic at 11 a.m.
