TRA’s Jordan Allen goes up for a bloack against Fayette Academy guard Lizzie Rhea. 
Tipton-Rosemark Academy Lady Rebels all-time leading scorer Megan Sanfratello adds to her total with a three-pointer against Fayette Academy last week.
By Thomas Sellers Jr.
The Tipton-Rosemark Academy Lady Rebels are the owners of a 64-32 win over West Region rivals the Fayette Academy Lady Vikings.
That victory came on the road during a Jan. 3 clash. Before the Jan. 28 rematch in the TRA Gymnasium, Lady Rebels Head Coach Cedric Anderson tried to warn his bunch the Lady Vikings would be improved and ready for revenge.
Fayette Academy displayed growth in those 25 days only trailing 22-17 at the break. TRA used full court traps and continuous pressure defense to extend the lead and eventually win the rematch 59-42.
“Their girls came to play like they should,” Anderson said. “Every team is getting better at this point of the year. Our girls had a challenge after a little bit of a slow start. Then we started to extend our defense and got a few turnovers on them. Then we started to attack the basket to extend our lead.”
In the third quarter the senior leadership of Megan Sanfratello came fruition behind the three-point line. The all-time leading scorer in school history drilled triples in the period to help the Lady Rebels build a 46-30 advantage.
Throughout the first half Lady Vikings like Lizzie Rhea, Autumn Gaither, Annie Thornton and Emmie Moore kept Fayette Academy within striking distance hitting timely three-pointers. Meanwhile TRA missed layups and outside shots.
The defensive pressure of the Lady Rebels reversed the trends of both teams. The Lady Viking guards were overwhelmed throughout the third quarter by the traps set by TRA guards like Raven Sims, Cat Turner, Brianna Hall, Abby West and Sanfratello.
Those turnovers translated into layups for for players including Jordan “JoJo” Allen and Eva McIntosh. TRA continued to limit the offensive efforts of Fayette Academy extending the advantage to 52-34 early in the fourth quarter.
Throughout the evening Turner chipped in from behind the arch with three triples. All the offensive led to the 17-point victory and a firm grip on second place in the league for TRA.
Anderson said he will continue to drive home the points that teams are improving and want to remove the Lady Rebels from their current position in the standings.
“First we have to talk about positioning for the postseason,” he concluded. “They have to understand that the higher seed you are the better off you’re going to be. The girls have to understand you can’t give any ground back this time of year to any team.”
