Center High School’s Roughriders Gymnasium, January 25, 2019 –
Both the Center Roughriders Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball Teams hosted Huntington High School on Friday for District 20 Class 4A competition. The Lady Roughriders fell in a close hard fought battle by a 36-34 score. The Roughriders beat the Red Devils by a 44-36 margin.
Huntington was able to take a 17-11 advantage by the end of the first quarter but the Center Lady ‘Riders defense stiffened and only they only gave up 19 points for the remainder of the contest. Center outscored HHS 5-4 in the second quarter and the two teams headed to the midway intermission with the Lady Roughriders trailing the Lady Red Devils 21-16.
The Lady ‘Riders outpaced Huntington 9-2 in the third stanza and they led Huntington by a narrow 25-24 score. Huntington was able to rally and they outscored Center 10-9 in the final period to take the 36-34 win.
JaKayla Parks led Center scoring 13 points, Jakayla Weathered had 8, Kalei LaRock 6, Malaisha Cartwright 5, and Jasmine Cooks scored two points for the Lady Roughriders.
Jenna Flournoy led the Lady Red Devils with 20 points for the night.
Center is now 20-10 overall for the season and they have a 1-4 conference standing.
Center’s girls and boys varsity teams will travel to Carthage on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 for conference games with the Bulldogs. Sub varsity games will start at 4:30 p.m.
The Roughriders boy’s varsity team moved their mark season to 8-14 and their conference mark to 1-3 with a 44-36 win over Huntington. The ‘Riders trailed the Red Devils 12-9 at the end of the first period. At the halftime break Center had outscored Huntington 14-3 during the second frame and they took a 23-15 lead into the intermission. Five points during the third period by junior Roughriders guard Zacc Smith helped Center outpace Huntington 7-6 and they took a 30-21 lead into the final period of play.
Huntington kept pace with Center in the final quarter of play but they made up little ground in the 44-36 loss.
Jayden Hicks led Center with 17 points and teammate Zacc Smith had 10.
