Lady Cougars Getting Back On Track

The Piedmont Academy varsity girls basketball team got back on the winning side in the past week posting two victories.

The Lady Cougars defeated George Walton Academy 44-35 last Friday in a home game and then earned a 47-39 victory against long-time rival Gatewood on the road Monday.

Marissa Holder paced the team with 24 points and nine rebounds while Maddie Waddleton added eight points and seven boards. Jacie Jenkins finished with eight rebounds.

In addition to the stat leaders in the game with GWA, Hannah Tyler contributed for the Lady Cougars.

Holder continues to be a difference make on the court. The freshman is a player most teams cannot defend.

“Marissa shoots so well and does a great job of taking care of the basketball but the last few games she has been taking it to the basket more and more,” her coach said. “She’s only a freshman and I know I ask a lot of her but when she stays within herself, I honestly don’t think many people we see can stop her.”

Jenkins is also a player who has been key of late.

“Jacie has really helped us since coming to Piedmont,” Wilson said. “She is an amazing athlete who hasn’t played much basketball but is a problem for other teams to keep of the boards. She averages more than 10 rebounds a game she’s getting more and more comfortable on the court and i really think the points will start to come soon. She had 15 rebounds against Trinity and nine against GWA.”

In Monday’s win against Gatewood, Holder scored 20 points while Tyler added eight and Teagan Satterfield contributed seven. Holder also had 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals while Waddleton finished with seven rebounds and a steal.

It was the first win at Gatewood for the Lady Cougars since 2008.

“Gatewood plays really good defense and they are coached very well,” Wilson said. “Jordan Camp has done a great job with this group of girls and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Being able to go into their gym and win is another step in the right direction.”

“We’ve played as difficult a schedule as anyone in GISA,” Wilson said. “We are starting to see the dividends from playing really good teams early. We are better now than two weeks ago but we aren’t as good as we want to be. The girls are starting to practice better and it’s translating, however, it’s a long season and we can’t let up.”

Piedmont will play at Brentwood as part of a holiday tournament on Tuesday at 6 p.m.