7th grade girls – The Italy 7th grade girls competed in the first matchup of the night trading baskets with Red Oak Life all game long. ROL scored first when #32 made a basket. Italy’s Kendra Copeland matched it and the score was 2-2 at the 4:34 mark of the first period. K. Copeland was fouled shooting and went 1 of 2 from the stripe to give the Gladiators a 3-2 lead with 3:55 left. ROL’s #34 score an open shot in the lane for the 4-3 advantage. Italy’s Monserrat Figueroa gets a rebound and scores from beneath the basket giving the edge back to Italy 5-4. #32 for ROL was left open in the lane and hit an easy 2-point shot for a 6-5 lead with 2:12 left in the first.

Italy’s Figueroa receives an assist from Taylor Turner and hits a jumper putting Italy back in front 7-6. ROL’s #34 answered right back with a paint shot putting ROL back on top 9-8. Then ROL’s #34 hit from in close and then drilled a jumper from the left wing to give ROL the 12-9 lead at the end of the first period.

Starting the second period, K. Copeland scored quick off the inbound pass to make the score 12-11 with ROL leading. Italy’s Ryisha Copeland scores on a turn around jumper giving Italy back the lead 13-12. Then ROL’s #11 goes all the way for a layup regaining the lead for ROL 14-13 with 3:54 left in the half.

ROL’s #40 scores in the lane to give Red Oak a 16-13 advantage with 2:55 remaining. ROL’s #31 would hit from the left wing and Italy’s K. Copeland would put in a layup to end the first half with ROL leading Italy 18-15.

The third period scoring began at the 5:03 mark when Italy’s Turner was fouled shooting and went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line. ROL was still leading 18-16. The scoring subsided until the 2:20 mark when ROL’s #32 scored under the basket putting ROL in control 20-16 which would be the score going into the fourth.

After an Italy bucket, ROL’s #14 hits from the lane and the score is 22-18 with ROL leading at the 4:49 mark in the fourth. With 2:33 left in the game ROL’s #32 receives an inbound pass in the lane for a 24-18 lead. Italy started to tire as ROL’s #40 hits to make the score 26-18. Italy’s Turner manages to get a basket making the score 26-22 with :59 left.

Italy’s girls go to their full-court press to create steals. Italy’s Ashley Harper steals and gets fouled missing the shot. However, Harper puts in both free throws pulling Italy closer 26-22 with :40 left in the contest. ROL manages to break Italy’s defensive pressure and ROL’s #11 scores on a driving layup to finish the scoring 28-22, in favor of Red Oak Life.

Italy – scoring:
Kendra Copeland, 10-points
Monserrat Figueroa, 4-points
Taylor Turner, 4-points
Ryisha Copeland, 2-points
Ashley Harper, 2-points

Red Oak Life high scorer:
34 – Jessica Johnson, 10-points

7th grade boys – Italy and Red Oak Life tested each other athletically at first then ROL’s #32 scored at the 4:50 mark of the 1st period for a 2-0 lead over Italy. Trey Robertson was fouled at the end of the fast break but made both free throws to tie the score 2-2. Darol Mayberry rebounds and passes ahead to Eric Carson who finishes the drive putting Italy up 4-2. At the 4:00 mark, ROL ties it 4-4 and scores again using full court pressure when #13 gives ROL a 6-4 lead. ROL’s #13 followed that up with a bank shot for 2-points and ROL now led 8-4. Then Justin Wood hit a bank shot after an assist from Deiondre Cochran. ROL now led 8-6 with :57 seconds left in the first period. ROL’s #30 rebounds and puts it in for a 10-6 lead and then he pops a jumper from the free throw line making the score 12-6. Fortunately, Italy’s Carson hit a lay in at the buzzer to end the first and keeps it close with ROL leading 12-8.

To start the second period, Mayberry drives the baseline and scores making it 12-10 with ROL still having the advantage. At the 4:35 mark, Robertson scores and gets it tied 12-12. ROL’s #41 hits a turn around jumper from the right wing and ROL takes the lead again 14-12. Red Oak receives a technical foul with an illegal substitution. Mayberry hits the technical free throw to pull within 1-point of ROL 14-13. ROL’s #24 hits a jumper to give his squad the advantage 16-13 with 1:35 left in the second. Then ROL’s #20 makes it 18-13 followed by a steal and a score by ROL’s #31 to make it 20-13 with under one minute left in the half. Carson dishes to Wood who gets the 2-points ending the first half 20-15 behind Red Oak Life.

Italy’s Robertson scores under the basket early in the third period making the score 20-17. ROL’s #34 fires back making it 22-17. ROL’s #34 scores again increasing their advantage to 24-17. That’s when Carson hit a 3-point shot to make the score 24-20. ROL’s #34 scores again and the score is now 26-20 Italy still trailing. Robertson scores on a lob pass from Mayberry but ROL does the same when they lob it to #20 with both buckets making the score 28-22. With 1:24 left in the third, Mayberry hits a 3-point shot and Italy’s still in the game going into the fourth period.

Italy’s Cochran scores a layup and Wood power dribbles his way for a bucket off an inbound pass to give Italy the lead 29-28 with 4:11 left in the fourth. Carson adds to Italy’s momentum with a jumper to make it 31-28. ROL’s #34 nails a jumper from the left wing and Italy’s lead was just 31-30.
After an Italy time out by Coach Larry Mayberry, Wood inbounds to Carson who drives for 2-points and makes it 33-30 with Italy still in control. With ROL in the bonus, Robertson gets fouled and makes 1 of 2 from the line. Then Mayberry follows his missed shot and puts it in to make the score 36-30. ROL’s #31 pops a 3-pointer from the right side to keep ROL in the game 36-33.

Italy’s Mayberry drops a dagger giving Italy the lead 39-33 after his 3-point shot with 1:08 left in the game. ROL’s #20 makes two free throws and the score is now 39-35. Mayberry breaks the ROL full-court pressure and bounces to Robertson. Robertson gets fouled but hits both free throws and makes Italy’s lead 41-35.

However, ROL did not give-up after a Robertson block on defense, ROL’s #20 scores with :38 left and the score is now 41-37. ROL uses full-court pressure to get a quick bucket making the score 41-39. Mayberry draws a foul but misses the front end of the 1 and 1 but Carson grabs the rebound and scores the lay in for Italy. ROL’s #20 makes a desperation 3-point shot but it wasn’t enough as the 7th grade boys win 43-42 and start their season 1-0.

Italy – scoring:
Eric Carson, 13-points
Trey Robertson, 11-points
Darol Mayberry, 11-points
Justin Wood, 6-points
Deiondre Cochran, 2-points