Cain shoots perfectly as 17th ranked Bryan wins for the 14th time

Former Lady Cougar Sarah Cain rang up 10-points while making all of her shots as Bryan wins for the 14th time this season.

WALESKA, GA (WLAF) – The 17th-ranked Bryan women’s basketball team closed out Thursday evening with a 61.7 percent shooting percentage, including a blistering 54.5 percent from three-point territory, and was guided by stellar performances from freshman guard Kaitlynn Hennessee (FR/Athens, Tenn.) and junior guard Shayla Ludy (JR/Ringgold, Ga.) in picking up a crucial 95-83 victory over Appalachian Athletic Conference opponent and 23rd-ranked Reinhardt University (Ga.).    Hennessee was an unstoppable force for Bryan, as the Athens, Tennessee native was 8-of-15 from the floor, chipping in three treys, and made the Eagles pay when they continuously sent her to the foul line by sinking 15-of-19. Her 34 points set a new career-best for the former McMinn County High School standout, and her five rebounds were also a team-high. Hennessee wrapped up the outing with three assists, a pair of blocks, and one steal. Trailing was Ludy who tallied 20 points, her 2nd-highest scoring game on the year, after shooting 8-of-11 and adding in four triples, handing out two assists, and swiping a team-best three steals. Only two other Lions notched double-figures with Deandra Luna (JR/Sparta, Tenn.) posting 12 points, four assists, and four rebounds and teammate Sarah Cain (JR/Jacksboro, Tenn.) scoring 10 points on an efficient 3-of-3 shooting and hitting a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line. Others to find the scoring column were Tristan McClellan (SR/Byrdstown, Tenn.) with eight points, Karli Combs (JR/Rutledge, Tenn.) with five points, Amadea Pankey (FR/Kingston, Tenn.) with three points, Destiny Kassner (SO/Oak Ridge, Tenn.) with two points, and Faith Simmons (FR/Lenoir City, Tenn.) with a lone point.

With the win, the top-ranked Bryan squad protects their undefeated mark at 10-0 in AAC play while improving to 14-1 overall. Reinhardt, who began the season with a 10-game winning-steak, has now lost two of their last three games to drop their overall record to 11-2 and conference mark to 8-2.

On a night where the Eagles shot just under 40 percent from both the field and from long range while missing only one free throw (15-for-16), edged the Lions in rebounds 33-28, and notched 17 assists with 10 players finding the bottom of the net… one might think that it would be enough to upend the talented Bryan team, but that wouldn’t be the case.

A back-and-forth scramble for the lead resulted in a tied ballgame 8-8 midway through the opening quarter before the home team completed a 5-0 swing to lead 13-8 at the four-minute mark. For the next two minutes, the Lions proved their toughness by slowing the Eagles’ momentum and countering with 10 unanswered points to seize control 18-13. The three’s kept falling for Bryan, as Ludy, Hennessee, and McClellan all took their turn in establishing an eight-point separation 26-18 by the end of the first quarter.

It took only three minutes for the Lions to claw their way to a double-digit deficit at 32-22. The Eagles were allowed only five points through the first seven minutes of the second frame, resulting in the Lions roaring ahead 45-23. Bryan carried an 18-point cushion into the locker room at halftime, 50-32.

In the final two quarters, Reinhardt outscored Bryan 27-24 in the third and 24-21 in the fourth, but the narrow advantage taken by the home team left the Lions unfazed. Every run attempted by the Eagles would be immediately shut down by the likes of Hennessee or Ludy. In the middle of the third period, Bryan still led by a comfortable 21 points, 62-41. A steal by Cain and finish on the opposite end by McClellan pushed the lead to 23 points, which would be the largest for the rest of the game. At the end of the third quarter, the Lions led 74-59, but a three-pointer by Ludy at the start of the fourth followed by a pair of makes at the foul line from Kassner grew the gap. Midway through, Cain provided six straight points for Bryan, making it an 85-68 ballgame. Down the final stretch, the Lions capped the contest with success at the foul line to close out a 95-83 decision.

Bryan will look for win number two to start 2020 when they host fellow AAC member Brenau University in Summers Gym on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7pm. The Golden Tigers are currently 6-6 overall and 3-5 when facing conference foes.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 01/06/2020-6AM)