By Stephen Dawkins

JEMISON – In only its second game of the season, Friday’s 49-19 win over Jemison, the Thorsby girls basketball team demonstrated its tremendous potential.
The Rebels (2-0) crashed the boards on offense to earn second-chance points, forced the Panthers (1-1) into numerous turnovers with an aggressive full-court press defense and moved the ball crisply on offense.
And Thorsby showed it won’t have to rely on one, or even two scorers. Sharonda Cooper and Amanda Hubbard tied for the team lead with 14 points each, and Ashlin Hilyer was close behind with 12 points.
It all added up to too much for Jemison, who was hoping to defend its home court in what amounted to the championship game of a season beginning, four-team tournament. Though games were played in round robin format, both Jemison and Thorsby won their contests on Thursday.
Jemison’s Shelby Lopez tried to keep her team close, scoring four of the game’s first 10 points, but the Rebels pulled away easily.
Lopez finished with a team-high eight points.
The first day of the tournament saw three coaches, including Thorsby’s Ab Argent, make their debuts.
Argent’s Rebels defeated Billingsley, 60-36.
“We did some things well, and then, I think, we had some very correctable mistakes,” Argent said. “This was definitely something we can build on.”
The Rebels were led by Cooper’s 23 points, 20 of which came in the first half, and Hubbard’s 15 points.
But Argent bemoaned his team’s inability to sink free throws. Thorsby was only 3-for-21 from the charity stripe.
“We did a good job of getting to the free throw line, but then we have to finish,” Argent said.
In the nightcap, Jemison topped Isabella, 38-25.
Both Kelsie Mims and Katika Nunn had 10 points. Mims added six rebounds, and Nunn grabbed nine boards.
Lopez had eight points and nine steals.
“I told my team that the difference between this team and the past couple of years is that we play with guts,” said Jemison coach Leighsa Robinson, the tournament’s veteran. “We weren’t timid. We drove the ball. And we played outstanding defense.”