Griffon reaches milestone as Lady Dawgs lock up playoff spot
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
Copperas Cove senior Madison Griffon helped her team lock up a spot in the 2019 UIL State Basketball Championships with a 63-50 win over the Shoemaker Grey Wolves Friday night at Bulldawg Gymnasium.
The senior hit 1,000 points even in the overtime loss to Midway on January 22 before crossing over that threshold in the overtime road win at Heights and brought that total to 1,027 with Friday’s win over Shoemaker.
She was recognized for that accomplishment in front of the home fans on Friday.
“It means a lot,” she said. “It’s a pretty cool accomplishment, but I definitely couldn’t be here without my teammates.
“It means a lot to do it in front of my parents, my friends, of course my teammates and coach Mac (McAdams). They are the ones that motivated me.”
Copperas Cove head basketball coach Eldridge McAdams knows the difficulty of such a milestone.
“This is definitely a milestone that not many reach,” he said. “It shows the hard work, the dedication and the type of player she is.
“It’s a team game, but anytime you can get individual accolades out of it, that’s a good thing. We are excited for her. She definitely has a future in the game of basketball.”
The accomplishment feels even better for Griffon as it came in a win over Shoemaker that secured at least a no. 3 seed heading into the playoffs.
“It feels really good,” said Griffon. “We’re definitely excited and we’re coming in with a new mentality. We want to get past the first round. We’re going to come in hungry and ready to win.”
Griffon finished Friday’s win with 10 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Leading 27-15 at the break, the Lady Dawgs grew their lead to 17, 37-20, with three consecutive baskets by junior Kaysha McCloud as part of her team-high 14 points and a steal for a layup by Griffon.
A pair of baskets by Shoemaker junior Emi’jah Spencer cut the Cove lead to 13, 37-24, with time winding down in the third quarter.
A traditional three-point play by Cove junior Madisen Honea and a putback by junior Keana Garrett helped the Lady Dawgs take a 25-points, 42-27 advantage into the final frame.
Baskets by senior Sierra Ousley, Spencer and senior Celeste Galloway, along with a three-pointer by senior Alexa Velasquez and a pair of free throws by sophomore Novotny Smith cut the Cove lead to single digits, 58-50, with less than a minute remining, but that is as close as they would get. Free throws by Honea and senior Chyla Johnson closed out the 63-50 win.
Honea chipped in 10 points and four assists for the Lady Dawgs while Garrett finished with 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Junior Leah Powell (9 pts, five rebounds), senior Jayda Carter (3 pts, 3 rebs) and junior Tiana Barker (2 pts, 2 rebs) closed out Cove’s scoring.
Spencer finished with a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds while Velasquez had 11 points.
The varsity boys fell 69-44 to the no. 16-ranked Shoemaker Grey Wolves in the nightcap of the varsity double-header.
The Grey Wolves used a smothering defense to hold the Bulldawgs to just 15 first-half points while lore than doubling that tally with 34 points.
Plays by Sheomaker senior Jalen Childs fueled a 27-7 Shoemaker run spanning the first and second quarters to create a 19-point halftime lead.
Baskets by senior Tyrese Taylor and junior Lakyi Ellison pulled Cove back within 14, 35-21, but the Wolves finished on a 16-10 run to take a 20-point advantage into the final frame.
Three-pointers by junior Deayra Corbin and junior Isaiah Sobers slowed the Wolves briefly until a three-pointer by Shoemaker senior Jayson Collins and a still for a layup by junior Xavier Callaway closed the game at 69-44.
Taylor led the Dawgs with 14 points and 10 rebounds while senior Quinton Ford had 10 points and Sobers had nine.
Childs finished with a game-high 24 points and four steals while senior Ta’Veon Sevaaetasi added 13 points.
Cove hosts Temple tonight with the girls beginning the double-header at 6:30 with the boys’ following in a must-win scenario.