It was Jessica Parke's 17th birthday Tuesday. The Carey High School junior guard went one better with 18 in her scoring during Carey's 47-37 girls' basketball victory over the visiting Mackay Miners, at Carey.
Parke (10.8 ppg) scored a season-high 18 points with two rebounds and three steals as coach Lane Durtschi's Panthers (8-5, 4-2 league) won their fourth consecutive game and avenged a five-point loss at Mackay in their season opener.
In a high-flying physical game with 55 turnovers, 46 fouls and 59 free throws, Carey won by 10 points, chiefly because the Panthers (21 steals for the game) went on a 16-4 run in the second quarter led by Parke, junior Amy Ellsworth and senior Chelsey Hunt.
Parke scored eight of her points in the second quarter. Ellsworth (4 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals) was a big factor on the boards with six of her rebounds in the second. And Hunt (3.7 ppg) finished with 11 points for the game. Hunt (5 rebounds, 6 steals) also drilled three 3-pointers.
Another contributor for Carey was scrappy senior Shelby Hansen (7 points, 7 steals, 3 assists). Meanwhile, 5-11 senior Kayla Bailey (3 points, 3 boards, 2 assists) came up with three blocked shots.
Mackay's bigger players couldn't match the quickness and depth of Carey. The Miners committed 29 turnovers against the relentless Panther defense and didn't put a single player in double figures. And Carey won despite shooting 14-for-33 from the free throw line, at 42% about the team's average.
For Mackay, Aubrey Nelson (9 points), Madison McKelvey (8 points, 5 boards), Brook Neilson (6 points, 5 rebounds) and Kashia Whitworth (6 points, 6 boards, 4 steals) led the way.
The Carey teams resumed Northside Conference action at Bliss Thursday night and are at home against Camas County of Fairfield today, Friday, Jan. 16.
Peck scores 19 for boys
Coach Dick Simpson's Carey boys (8-3, 4-2 league) also used a strong second-quarter run to put a short-benched Mackay boys' squad in the halftime hole during Tuesday's contest.
The Panthers, trailing 17-14 early in the second quarter, went on an 18-6 roll to grab a 32-23 halftime lead en route to a 56-45 non-conference triumph over Mackay. Carey's fourth straight win improved the team's home record to 5-0.
Junior guard Trevor Peck (11.7 ppg) scored a season-high 19 points for Carey and leading scorer Brett Adamson (15.6 ppg) added 15. Peck (5 rebounds, 3 assists) had three 3-pointers and Adamson (5 rebounds, 4 assists) added one.
Overall, Carey shot 5-for-21 from 3-point land during a game when neither team managed a good field goal shooting percentage (Carey 30%, Mackay 25%). The Panthers just had a little more depth, and they shot down Mackay's comeback hopes with an effective Five Game offense in the fourth—spreading the floor and attacking the middle on cuts.
Carey sophomore Jacy Baird (9 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists) had one of his best games and senior Heith Adamson (9 points, 10 boards, 4 steals) was a big-time contributor off the bench. Dillon Simpson (4 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks) chipped in nicely.
Mackay's two big men, Kole Krosch (17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) and Zach Donnot (16 points, 13 boards), struggled with foul trouble all night. Doing a good job on the boards was Mackay's Dylan Hogland (4 points, a game-high 15 boards). All are juniors for the Miners.
Carey’s 6-1 sophomore Jacy Baird (9 points, 11 rebounds) had one of his best games in Tuesday’s 56-45 Panther home win over Mackay. Here, Baird drives past Mackay’s big gun Kole Krosch (left).
