![\"Carsyn](\"http:\/\/smokymtnsports.com\/womensbasketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2024\/12\/Heritage2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBY BRIAN HAMILTON<\/p>\n
SEVIERVILLE – Heritage got off to a slow start offensively in the first round of the Winterfest Shootout on Friday afternoon, but quickly came into form as Carsyn Swaney led the way to a 14th consecutive win to start the season for the Lady Mountaineers with a resounding 73-36 win over Warren County (KY).<\/p>\n
The Lady Mountaineers quickly became too much for the Lady Pioneers, who never really found a way to pioneer a defender to stop Swaney, who finished the contest with 22.<\/p>\n
“We don’t want to beat people like that, so we got in that zone in the second half,” Heritage coach Rick Howard said regarding the blowout win. “I was proud of my subs. They went in there and got after it. They practice hard every day, so it’s a good reward for them to let them get in and play some.”<\/p>\n
Heritage got on the board early when Kenley Coker converted 1-of-2 three throws for a 1-0 lead. Carsyn Swaney later grabbed a steam and made a layup to give the Lady Mountaineers a 3-0 lead with 6:42 left in the opening quarter.<\/p>\n
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Faith Morris drained a three to increase the Heritage lead to 6-0 with 4:16 left in the first quarter, which was followed by a Swaney jumper to make the lead 8-0.<\/p>\n
“After a break, we let them off four days, so I knew we might be a little sluggish, ” Howard said. “We’ve got to go down and make fast break points instead of having to shoot threes.”<\/p>\n
Warren County would finally get on the board when Aubrey Okesik hit a layup to make the score 8-2. A steal and layup by Aleyah Smyth stretched the Lady Mountaineers’ lead to 12-2 with 2:13 remaining.<\/p>\n
Heritage would get outscored 5-4 from that point, as the Lady Mountaineers took a 16-7 lead into the second quarter.<\/p>\n
The Lady Mountaineers started the second quarter with a 4-0 run to take a 20-7 lead. Both teams were in a stalemate midway through the second quarter when Warren’s Addison Steakley nailed a three to make the score 26-13 and keeping the deficit at 13.<\/p>\n
Heritage would go on a torrential 15-3 run to end the first half, however, thanks in part to two triples and a pair of steals and baskets by Carsyn Swaney. The Lady Mountaineers took a comfortable 41-16 lead into intermission.<\/p>\n
“We started turning it over and making some easy layups,” Howard said. “I told them that once they get in a rhythm that they would be ok. Carsyn finally started hitting and then Chloe (Heath) and it just snowballed from there.”<\/p>\n
Coker sank two free throws midway through the third quarter to put Heritage in front 50-21. Morris added a layup to make the score 52-21.<\/p>\n
Valery Esparza hit a basket, followed by a pair of free throws by Cortlyn Porter, making the score 52-25. Anslee Crick then split a pair of free throws to make the score 52-26, as Warren County had embarked on its largest run of the game. Heritage ended the third quarter leading 57-26.<\/p>\n
Emma Cardwell sank a layup, was fouled, and converted the old-fashioned three-point play to make the score 62-28 with 5:34 remaining. A jumper by Izzy Hutsell made the score 65-28 and that began a running clock, which begins when a team is ahead by 35 points or more.<\/p>\n
Heritage (14-0) went on to win the game 73-36 and advanced to the Winterfest Shootout semifinal game against Ensworth on Saturday, December 28 at 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
Carsyn Swaney led all scorers with 22 points, while Faith Morris finished with 13 and Chloe Heath added 11.<\/p>\n
Warren County was led by Addison Steakley’s 18 points, which was followed by eight points by Cortlyn Porter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEVIERVILLE – Heritage got off to a slow start offensively in the first round of the Winterfest Shootout on Friday afternoon, but quickly came into form as Carsyn Swaney led the way to a 14th consecutive win to start the season for the Lady Mountaineers with a resounding 73-36 win over Warren County (KY). The Lady Mountaineers quickly became too much for the Lady Pioneers, who never really found a way to pioneer a defender to stop Swaney, who finished the contest with 22. “We don’t want to beat people like that, so we got in that … <\/p>\n