No. 4 Faith Academy girls defeat state-ranked Waco Reicher
Faith Academy of Marble Falls sophomore post Hannah Cozby (left) scores a basket during the Lady Flames' 66-43 win against Waco Reicher on Jan. 20. Courtesy photo
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
WACO — The Faith Academy of Marble Falls girls basketball team defeated Waco Reicher 66-43 in a non-district game Jan. 20.
The Lady Flames, ranked No. 4 in the latest small private schools poll of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, had a 15-11 lead after the first period but outscored the Cougars 17-8 in the second quarter and 20-9 in the third for a 52-28 lead. Reicher is ranked No. 22 in the large private schools TABC poll.
Faith head coach Jerry English said his could have scored more in the first half, but the Lady Flames missed several put-backs on offensive rebounds and at least six layups.
“I was very pleased with our effort,” he said. “(Reicher was) a nice team. They had depth, they moved players in and out. They were able to handle everything they did.”
The contest also might have served as a coming-out party for sophomore post Hannah Cozby, who had a double-double.
“Hannah probably had the best game of her short career,” English said. “We felt like, for some time, it was a matter of rhythm and flow. The blocks were amazing. She cleaned up a lot of things. We gave up some offensive rebounds. (The Cougars) would go up, and that ball would go backwards.”
English said one part of Faith’s pre-game preparation involved Cozby posting up, catching the ball with one hand and making a move toward the basket.
Junior guard Taylor Denton and senior post Juliette Fisher also played well, he said, noting Denton could have had more points had it not been for contact on some layups and Fisher handled the high post well.
The Lady Flames will play two more games this week, all in District 4-2A play of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Because of that, English gave the players the day off Jan. 22.
jfierro@thepicayune.com
TOP PLAYERS: Hannah Cozby 21 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks; Taylor Denton 25 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 rebounds, 1 block
ON OFFENSE: Points – Sierra Brinkley 6, Kristen Cherry 6, Juliette Fisher 6, Alisha Williams 2; assists – Cherry 4, Joanna Piatek 3, Fisher 2, Brinkley 1, Sarah Burrage 1; rebounds – Piatek 4, Fisher 3, Cherry 1
ON DEFENSE: Steals – Fsiher 4, Cherry 3, Marissa Perea 1, Burrage 1, Brinkley 1; rebounds – Fsiher 5, Cherry 4, Brinkley 3, Piatek 2, Williams 2; blocks – Fisher 1
RECORDS: Faith Academy is 18-4 overall, 3-0 in district play; Reicher is 17-8
UP NEXT: 6:15 p.m. Jan. 21, Faith vs. Waco Texas Christian Academy at The Fire Pit, three miles east of Marble Falls off RR 1431