Lady Eagles off to Fast Start

By: Lee Ramsey
Seymour Lady Eagle basketball is off to a great start under new Head Coach Brandi Stallings.
The former Jefferson County, UAB star is getting the girls at Seymour to buy into the success formula that worked for her as a player.
The Lady Eagles wasted no time as they won their County Jamboree match against the Pigeon Forge Lady Tigers.
Pigeon Forge scored first, but Seymour came storming back to win by a score of 18-6.
Seymour freshman Mariah Flynn started the run hitting a two point shot making the score 8-4. Lexi Justus quickly followed making the score 10-4.
Lady Eagles junior Brittany Seagle followed with a three making the score 13-4 Seymour.
Justus added four more followed by senior Shae Brown with a point.
The Jamboree turned out to be a forecast of things to come.
Stallings won her debut as Seymour’s High School new girls basketball coach by a score of 66-61 over the Grainger Lady Grizzlies.
The Lady Eagles led by as many as 16 in the third quarter only to see the lead melt away and then go into overtime. But at they say, “A win is a win is a win.”
“We played really well in the first half and executed well,” Stallings said. “In the second half we had a 14 to 16 point lead, but we let it get away.
“Grainger’s a great opponent and they battled back.”
In the overtime, Seymour was led by sophomore point guard Kasey Norman by hitting a trey and 4 straight clutch free throws at the end of overtime.
The Lady Eagles were led the entire game by senior Shaelyn Brown who scored 19.
Freshman Mariah Flynn scored 10 in her first varsity game and senior Ashley McCarter had six points.
Brittany Seale added five, followed by Lexi Justus with four and Erin Fine with two.
“We had balanced scoring which is what I’ve been saying all along,” Stallings said. “It’s good to get that first win.”
The Lady Eagles followed the Grainger win with another by defeating the Claiborne Lady Bulldogs by a score of 49-36.
In a game dominated by defense and a lack of sharp outside shooting, the Lady Eagles improved their record to 2-0.
“It was a good overall effort, and they executed well down the stretch,” said Stallings. “They matured a little bit from game to game, and that’s what it’s all about right now. We got better defensively.”
Once again, Seymour was led in scoring by senior Shaelyn Brown with 14 points. Jordan Ballard scored nine followed by Kasey Norman with 7, Kelsey Davis with 5, Hannah Moore and Ashley McCarter with 4 each.
When asked about the season so far, Stallings said, “It’s going really well. We’re improving each time out. We’ve found a way to win. I’m pleased with the girl’s effort.”