Lakeside girls get rare victory over Greenbrier

Lakeside girls basketball coach Maureen McCormack said before the season that Tishal Turknett was ready for a breakout year.

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The junior guard didn't wait long to affirm the statement. Turknett scored 31 points Tuesday to help the Panthers to a 61-47 victory over rival Greenbrier.

The victory was Lakeside's first over the Wolfpack since 2002.

"She's more confident (this year)," McCormack said of Turknett. "The skills were there."

Carolyn Hennecken added 18 for Lakeside (1-0), which next plays at Evans on Dec. 1 The Panthers trailed only once and led by as many as 20 with 4:49 remaining.

McCormack said the Panthers tried to limit the Wolfpack's outside shooters, and Greenbrier made only three of its 3-point attempts. She said the Wolfpack were denying Lakeside the pass to the wing during the first half, and that the Panthers talked at halftime about how to adjust and to break Greenbrier's full-court pressure.

Turknett's big night relieved some of the pressure. She hit a 3-pointer for the game's first basket and scored seven points during the final five minutes to deny Greenbrier the chance to come back.

Greenbrier's loss to Lakeside in 2002 was the last game the Wolfpack dropped to a county team until Harlem beat them last season, a stretch of 45 games.

"Greenbrier's been the team to beat for a long time," McCormack said.

For the boys, Greenbrier coach Casey Heckathorn earned his first victory as a head coach as the Wolfpack beat Lakeside 73-66.

Greenbrier's Chad Waddell scored a game-high 20 points and made four of five free throws late.

"Everything we drew was to get Chad the ball," Heckathorn said of the Wolfpack's strategy. "We didn't shoot well from the line. But down the stretch ... Chad was ice."

Lakeside was playing without three starters who were still with the Panthers football team as it moves through the state playoffs. Another key player, senior Michael Punch, sat most of the game after he was whistled for three first-quarter fouls.

"That was the last thing that could have happened to us," Lakeside coach Ryan Morningstar said. "That kind of put some different kids in different spots.

"They still stepped up to the challenge."

The Panthers surged to a seven-point lead at the half. But Greenbrier worked the ball inside to start the second half and took the lead with 2:41 left in the third.

The game was tied halfway through the fourth quarter and the Panthers trailed by just a point twice in final two minutes. But the Wolfpack's free-throw shooting won out.

Justin Jahn scored 20 for the Panthers and Kody Belcher added 12.

Greenbrier's Dejon Britton finished with 19, and DJ Tyson converted three 3-pointers and scored 12.

Lakeside's Justin Jahn tries a scoop shot against Greenbrier.[CAPTION]

Greenbrier's Kayla Hunt puts up a shot over Lakeside's Carolyn Hennecken. [CAPTION]

Photos by Jim Blaylock

Lakeside's Tishal Turknett goes up for a fast-break layup in the Panthers' victory over Greenbrier. Turknett scored 31 points.[CAPTION]

Greenbrier's Chad Waddell drives past Lakeside's Kody Belcher.