GARRETT PUTS ON SHOOTING CLINIC; LADY BEARCATS 17-0

With Linley Garrett putting on a shooting clinic in the in the final quarter the Booneville Lady Bearcats throttled Cossatot River 56-20 Tuesday night to move to 17-0 on the season.

The 17 game winning streak to start a season is the most by any team in athletic program history, surpassing the 16 straight the 2001 baseball Bearcats won.

Garrett (shown during a post game reception by teammates) who was the impetus behind a 30-point bench production against the Lady Eagles had hit a 3 in the third quarter that made it 36-13.

Leigh Swint closed the quarter with the final four Lady Bearcat points and the lead was a comfortable 40-15 going to the fourth.

That sent all started to the bench for the rest of the night and closed a 13 point game for Swint.

After Lexi Franklin scored on a layup Garrett up in a basket after a rebound and it was 44-16 with 6:22 to play.

Taking a pass from June Gandarias Garrett drained a three from just in front of her bench to make it 47-20 and in the final 1:48 she took three more passes from Gandarias and dropped in 3s as if playing around-the-world.

When it ended the sophomore had scored a team high 17 points, becoming the ninth different Lady Bearcat to have a double-digit scoring game this season.

Garrett also led the way in rebounding with seven.

Carah Miller had started the bench’s assault on Cossatot with a pair of first quarter 3s on successive possessions which turned a 5-3 lead into one of 11-3 and started a 13-0 run that pretty much removed any doubt.

Lexi Franklin hit a 3 to punctuate the run – six Lady Bearcats combined to hit 11 of them – and Layla Byrum ended a more than five minute scoring drought with another and the Lady Bearcats went on to lead 23-9 at the half.

The first half also saw the Lady Bearcats record 12 steals despite which, in addition to the big lead, came although they were without Heaven Sanchez, who is both the team’s leading scorer and a top defender.

Swint was responsible for four thefts in the half and would have five in the game.

Swint was also a catalyst on offense when she wasn’t putting the ball in the basket, handing out four assists, which Gandarias would match in the fourth quarter show.

The Lady Bearcats will put their perfect mark on the line Thursday when they host Paris in a game that was postponed on January 14 due to COVID protocols.