Marlin Classic girls: Starr's Mill rallies past Hendersonville

PANAMA CITY BEACH — When Starr’s Mill needed a big shot, Alex Pitts was there. Twice.

The Panthers guard scored with 40.6 seconds left to lift Starr’s Mill to a 41-39 victory over Hendersonville (Tenn.) in the Arnold Marlin Christmas Classic girls championship game on Friday. She also hit a 3-pointer with 1:18 left in the game to erase a six-point deficit.

“I was nervous, and I just hoped our team would hold on with good defense,” Pitts said.

Starr’s Mill did that, holding Hendersonville to two shots the rest of the way. The first was a hurried layup in the post and the Panthers came down with the carom with 16 seconds to play. Jenna Ricker made 1 of 2 free throws to cap the scoring and the Commandos (4-10) set up a final shot with 11.8 seconds.

However, they couldn’t get a good look at the basket and the ball was poked out of bounds by the Panthers with two seconds to go. Taylor Wright, who led Hendersonville with 11 points, quickly shot a 3-pointer that fell off the mark to conclude the outcome.

Pitts, who had nine points, said Starr’s Mill (11-3) will use the win as momentum heading back home to Georgia.

“This was big for us because we didn’t have a good season last year,” Pitts said. “Since I’ve been in high school I never won a championship like this so it’s nice.”

Hendersonville couldn’t put away Starr’s Mill in the second quarter, despite the Panthers going more than five minutes without a point. Starr’s Mill led 11-10 at the end of one quarter and Hendersonville moved out only to a 17-11 edge while the Panthers went cold. The Panthers ended the quarter on a 7-2 run and left little question the second half would be just as competitive.

It appeared as if the Hendersonville had all the momentum when Wright’s shot at the buzzer gave the Commandos a 35-29 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Danielle Garcia, who had 10 points, notched two straight baskets to close Starr’s Mill within 35-33. Courtney Glover scored her only two points to stake Henderson to a 37-33 lead and two free throws by Katie Wilson, who had 14 points, set up Pitts’ 3-pointer one possession later.

Emily Parrott gave Hendersonville its final lead, 39-38, following a Starr’s Mill timeout with 1:18 on the clock. Pitts scored on the next possession that secured the lead for good.

Wilson scored seven of the Panthers’ 11 points in the first quarter. The opening quarter featured six lead changes. The second quarter had three lead changes with Henderson clinging to a 19-18 advantage at the end of 16 minutes.

• HENDERSONVILLE (39)
• Ramsey 2, Chance 5, Glover 2, Meadors 2, Svedin 8, Wright 11, Parrott 9.
• STARR’S MILL (41)
• Buck 4, Ricker 4, Wilson 14, Garcia 10, Pitts 9.
• Hendersonville 10 9 16 4 – 39
• Starr’s Mill          11 7 11 12 – 41
• Fouled out: Hendersonville (Ramsey)

Third place: Marist 74, Arnold 45

Marist finished in third a year after winning the inaugural girls Marlin Classic title. The War Eagles (7-2) set a tournament record for points in a game and did so with 63 in three quarters after a sluggish first.

Arnold moved out to an 8-0 lead in the first on the strength of two Lianne Canady 3-pointers. Marist took a while to grow comfortable on the floor without senior leader and starting point guard Erica Fontaine, who didn’t play due to a violation of team rules, coach Kim Hixon said.

Usually assertive freshman Kelsey Carrier and senior Ashlyn Johns were tentative early as well without Fontaine’s calming influence. Neither scored in the first quarter, but the War Eagles were able to weather the early run and take an 11-10 lead at the end of the stanza on a basket by Gracie Demarest.

Carrier and Johns warmed up in the second quarter and combined for 11 points. Marist took over the game by outscoring Arnold 26-9 in the second quarter with nine points from Briana Bell also stoking the explosion.

Bell finished with a game-high 21 points, Carrier scored 11 and Johns and Demarest 10 apiece. Marist finished its run with three games of 50 or more points and two of 65 or more.

Arnold had some highlights in defeat, including Canady tying tourney records for 3-pointers in a quarter (two) and a game (three). She finished with nine points. JoJo Booker returned from a leg injury suffered on Thursday and led Arnold (5-9) with 12 points.

The Marlins improved on last year’s last-place finish.

• MARIST (74)
• Johns 10, Carrier 13, Ilse 6, Demarest 10, Bell 21, Ochuko 5, Leimbach 9.
• ARNOLD (45)
• Canady 9, Pavlov 3, Robertson 2, McClanahan 8, Jasay 2, Adock 1, Booker 8, Tennyson 8.
• Marist                11 26 18 19 – 74
• Arnold            10 9 10 16 – 45
• Fouled out: Arnold (Booker)

Fifth place: Mosley 48, Eastern 44

The Dolphins played from behind through three quarters and needed a late surge to wrap up the tournament with two straight wins. Eastern held a 23-15 halftime lead and took a 34-27 advantage into the final quarter.

Mosley produced its best output in the fourth, outpacing Eastern 21-10 for the victory. Deanna Canfield led the charge with 18 points, while Alex Ware scored 16 for the Dolphins.

Jade Spaulding was Eastern’s high-points producer for the second time in the games with 15.

• MOSLEY (48)
• Trzaska 4, Canfield 18, Ware 16, Smith 3, White 7.
• EASTERN (44)
• Johnson 6, Spaulding 15, Taylor 7, Abernathy 8, Nash 5, Kimbro 3.

Seventh place: Tate 52, Cottondale 26

Marina Cobbs scored 10 to lead a balanced Tate effort. Eight players made it into the scoring ledger for the Aggies, who were 1-2 in this year’s event and improved to 9-5. Jasmine Baldwin and Jardae Ward added nine points apiece for Tate.

Khadejah Ward paced Cottondale with 15 points.

• TATE (52)
• A.Loomis 7, Cobbs 10, Baldwin 9, Stevens 2, Ward 9, Clark 8, Conoly 5, J.Loomis 2
• COTTONDALE (26)
• Gonzalez 2, Brown 2, Gardner 2, Ward 15, White 5.