If the Lady Pioneers played every game like it was a Christmas tournament, the Warren County High School girls team would be state championship contenders.
The Lady Pioneers swept through their second straight Christmas tournament last week, culminating Saturday night when Warren County beat Westmoreland 34-28 in the championship game of the Watertown Christmas tourney.
By claiming its second title, Warren County (14-6) increased its longest winning streak of the season to six games – all coming in holiday tournaments. Before the Watertown tournament, Warren County won three straight games in the Midstate Christmas tournament held at Ezell Harding High School.
The Lady Pioneers had to get through the host school in the opening round of the Watertown tournament, then beat perennial pest DeKalb County to move into the finals. Warren County topped Watertown 57-51 Thursday, then proceeded to beat the Lady Tigers for the first time in three years 54-47 Friday.
Westmoreland beat Centennial and Cheatham County to reach the title game, where it ran into a motivated Lady Pioneer squad playing with confidence and relying on senior post Jessie Newby to lead the team to victories.
Newby was unstoppable in the championship as she scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added five steals in the championship game. In the tournament, Newby scored 53 points to claim MVP honors.
Newby was gracious in accepting the award and instead turned the focus on the Lady Pioneers’ play in the tournament as the team played almost mistake-free throughout the weekend at Watertown.
“We just play well as a team. Everybody works together,” said Newby. “The main thing we did was limit turnovers. When we lose, it’s because we have so many turnovers. We didn’t in Watertown and, if we can keep limiting our turnovers, I feel like we are going to surprise people in district play.”
Newby was extremely active in the first quarter as she scored six of her team’s 10 points and keyed a stifling Lady Pioneer defense with two steals. Junior Brittany Myers – an all-tournament selection – added an emphatic block at the top of the key that drew oohs and ahhs from the large contingent of Lady Pioneer faithful who made the trip.
Westmoreland was able to draw within two at 10-8 by the end of the first quarter by beating the buzzer with a late layup.
The Lady Eagles started the second quarter with four straight points to take their first lead at 12-10, but it would prove to be the only time Warren County trailed in the finals.
Newby sparked an 8-0 run to end the half with a three-point play. She would add another basket – giving her 11 first-half points – off a putback before Myers closed the scoring with a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2:25 to play.
Warren County took an 18-12 lead into halftime as the Lady Pioneers were scoreless in the final two minutes while Westmoreland went the last six minutes of the second quarter without a point.
Scoring continued to be a problem when the second half started. Neither team was able to put a point on the board until a great defensive play led to a transition bucket for the Lady Pioneers.
Myers swatted another Lady Eagle shot with 5:45 to play in the third and the ball looked to be going out of bounds. Instead, Allison Hitchcock chased it down and threw the ball back in over her head to Madison Mason. Mason looked out in front where Newby had gotten behind the defense and she was able to connect on a layup to make it 20-12.
Newby would push the lead to double figures with a layup at the 4:40 mark of the third quarter, though Westmoreland closed the third quarter on an 8-2 run to make it 24-20 going into the final period.
The Lady Eagles got within two by starting the fourth quarter with a driving layup, but Camerie Martin wasn’t letting it get any closer. The Lady Pioneer point guard assisted on three straight baskets that helped clinch the title.
Martin started by finding Newby down low for a bucket, then she hit Saydee Winfree with a bounce pass for a back-door layup. After Westmoreland answered with a basket of its own, Martin shut the door by weaving through the Lady Eagle press and hitting Myers in the corner for a 3-pointer that put Warren County ahead 31-24 with 4:09 left.
Martin, Hitchcock and Mason would hit free throws down the stretch and Hitchcock added a block with 35 seconds to go as Warren County won the tournament for the first time since it started making the yearly trip to Watertown in 2011.
Hitchcock and Martin were also named to the all-tournament team following Saturday’s championship game.