Eighth Grader Scores 31 As Lady Raiders Win Region Playoff Game
Eighth-grader Aubrey Bush scored 31 points, as the Baylor Lady Red Raiders pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat Girls Preparatory School 53-40 in a playoff game Friday night.
Bush, wearing No. 2, was a constant offensive threat across all four quarters, attacking the mid-range and getting to the free-throw line at will. She finished 7-of-9 from the charity stripe and buried two 3-pointers, helping Baylor (which led 25-20 at halftime and 34-28 after three) outscore GPS 19-12 in the final period.
Schoti Marchand added 13 points, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while Paige Thompson chipped in three points and played key perimeter defense throughout.
For the Bruisers, Ariana Ivery was a force in the paint, finishing with 11 points and consistent work on the boards that kept the Bruisers within striking distance into the fourth. Farah House added 10 points, including a late second quarter shot from the paint that trimmed Baylor's lead to five heading into the half. Sophomore Sophia O'Keefe contributed with four 3-pointers.
The game was tied 14-14 after one quarter in a back-and-forth opening period that featured six lead changes. Bush then took over in the second, connecting on a trio of mid-range and perimeter shots to extend Baylor's advantage.
GPS trimmed the deficit to four points twice in the fourth quarter, but Bush answered both times. With under two minutes remaining, she converted a steal into an assist that pushed the lead to eight, then hit two free throws to effectively seal the outcome.
Baylor's bench was notably thin — the Lady Red Raiders dressed just nine players — but their coach said Bush found ways to impose her will regardless.
"She did a really nice job," Baylor Head Coach John Gibson said. "People mark her. They know what she can do. I thought she stayed the course tonight. She's young, she's an eighth grader. She just kept battling, and we executed. She found some things inside of our offense, and just one little stretch right there — she made four or five buckets out of six or seven possessions — and she changed the game. Absolutely."
|
GPS
|
14
|
8
|
8
|
10
|
-- 40
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|
BAYLOR
|
19
|
11
|
9
|
19
|
--53
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GPS (40) – Sophia O'Keefe, Ariana Ivery 11, Farah House 10, Lawrence 4, Wilson 3
Baylor (53) – Aubrey Bush 31, Schoti Marchand 13, Olebisk 4, Thompson 3, Willis 2
3-point goals: GPS 5 (O'Keefe 4, Wilson 1 ); Baylor 6 (Marchand 3, Bush 2, Thompson 1)
Free throws: GPS 3 of 9; Baylor 7 of 9.
(Contact Jake Moore at jakemooremedia12@gmail.com)
Aubrey Bush Leads Baylor Past GPS - Chattanoogan.com
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