By Jim Muir
The Benton Rangerettes opened the season Monday night with a 45-35 loss to the Mt. Vernon Lady Rams in opening night play from the Nashville Invitational Thanksgiving Tournament.
Benton trailed 10-5 after the opening quarter but a 16-3 surge by the Lady Rams in the second stanza proved to be the difference as Mt. Vernon rolled to a 26-8 halftime advantage.
“We got off to a rough start and tried to play too fast in the opening half,” said Benton girl’s coach Andy Sloan. “We didn’t do a good job of checking off the glass and we gave up too many stick-backs and second and third chance opportunities. We were much better in the second half.”
The Rangerettes cut the 18-point in half to nine points with 1:58 remaining in the game and actually outscored Mt. Vernon in the second half 27-19 but the large halftime deficit was too much to overcome.
“I think we settled down and relaxed in the second half,” said Sloan. “I am proud of our effort and that we fought and battled the entire game. We are very young and we’re going to have some growing pains.”
Senior Eb Casey led the offense for Benton with 15 points – 11 coming in the second half. Madyson Wallace had nine points for the Rangerettes followed by Addyson Miller with four points, Ember Milby with three and Zoe Carlton and Kelsey Wilcox with two each.
Nici Rudd led the Lady Rams with 16 points. Annibelle Harrison added 15 and Savannah Childers scored six with Taylor Thompson adding four. Mt. Vernon is 1-1 after the victory.
Benton (0-1) has little time to regroup as the Rangerettes head back to action Tuesday night (Nov. 21) for an 8 p.m. contest against the host Nashville Hornettes.
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