By Gary Lloyd
CLAY — First-year Clay-Chalkville varsity girls basketball coach Courtney Payne says she’s “impressed” with how the team is responding to a new coach.
Payne, a Scottsboro native who has coached at Jacksonville State University and Shades Mountain Christian School in Birmingham, likes an uptempo style of offense and defense, a style Clay-Chalkville is succeeding with early this season.
The Lady Cougars won their first three games over Center Point, Pinson Valley and Hewitt-Trussville by a combined score of 188-115.
Against Center Point, the Clay-Chalkville defense held the Lady Eagles to 28 points. Senior Bria Bethea scored a game-high 32 points in a 73-55 win over Pinson Valley on Nov. 12. Against Hewitt-Trussville on Nov. 14, the Clay-Chalkville defense held the Lady Huskies to eight second-half points in a 56-32 win.
Clay-Chalkville guard Raven Omar looks to push the ball up the court in a game against Hewitt-Trussville on Nov. 14.
photo by Ron Burkett
The uptempo offense has served Clay-Chalkville well so far.
“We look to push in transition every time,” Payne said. “We want to beat the defense down the floor as best we can.”
Junior Kristian Hudson is the floor general. She averaged nearly 23 points per game in the first three contests.
“When we need her to keep the ball in her hands and have the ball in her hands, when we need a score, we look to her to have it,” Payne said. “She draws defenses in. She’s a dynamic player.”
When the defenses close in on Hudson, Bethea is a sharpshooter on the outside. She hit big shots last season for a Clay-Chalkville team that went 25-5 under former head coach Todd Carlile. Junior forward TaJana Thomas has been strong under the basket for Clay-Chalkville so far. She scored seven points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots against Hewitt-Trussville.
“When we need a big rebound, we can always count on her to box out and pull the ball down and get a good outlet,” Payne said.
If the uptempo offense is slowed by a man defense, the team looks for quick ball movement and reversals. On defense, the team pressures the ball and changes up defensive sets to “keep the offense on their toes,” Payne said. It’s worked well thus far.
“That’s our game,” she said.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
