MORGAN COUNTY
The Morgan County girls’ basketball team rode a seven-game winning streak into this week.
The Lady Dogs also went 3-0 in that span and defeated two Region 4-AAA foes in the process.
Morgan County head coach Milfred Franklin can see his girls building ‘chemistry.’
“The girls’ chemistry has really taken a leap in the right direction. The girls seem to be playing well together. (They’re starting to find each other in unorthodox spots and see things before they happen, which is good,” Franklin said. “That means they’re starting to get into a good comfort zone with one another. It’s a positive.”
First, they defeated Salem 56-13 in their region opener last Tuesday at home in Madison.
Morgan County was led by Jaden Young, who scored a season-high 22 points against the Lady Seminoles; however, the Lady Dogs also got contributions from several other players. Cydney Burke, Kymora Smith and Destiny Hunter all had eight points each in the victory.
Morgan County never trailed against Salem and dominated from the opening tip-off. The Lady Dogs led the Seminoles 33-7 heading into the locker room at the half.
On Friday, Morgan County faced Hephzibah, which was 11-3 overall entering the game. The Lady Dogs handled business, though, and defeated the Lady Rebels, 62-43.
Morgan County had three players in double-figures, including one who posted a double-double.
Junior Kenwanna Lane totaled 16 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals in the win. Sophomore Kymora Smith also added 11 points and five boards against Salem.
Young, again, scored a team-high 19 points and four rebounds. Nevertheless, Burke, a freshman, was productive on the glass, grabbing 16 boards and scoring six points.
Finally, the Lady Dogs finished off the week with a 49-23 throbbing of Eastside, which completed the season sweep. They also never trailed against the Lady Eagles.
Lane led the way with 11 points followed by Smith with 10, respectively. Young added nine points and six rebounds, while Hunter totaled seven points and 12 boards.
Franklin loves seeing so many contributors on the stat sheet each night after a game.
“I love how our scoring is very balanced. With that, it allows us to be more multi-dimensional,” Franklin said. “A lot of teams can’t really focus on one player, which is something that a lot of teams will try to do as you get deeper into the playoffs.”
Morgan County’s seven-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday at Cross Creek with a 55-33 loss; however, the Lady Dogs can rebound Friday against Harlem at home.