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Vincent extended its four-game win streak with a win in its area opener against Central-Coosa County and a tight 2-point win over Shelby County. (For the Reporter/Dawn Harrison)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

The Vincent Yellow Jackets are riding a hot streak with wins in each of their last four games, including a pair in back-to-back days to finish out last week to improve to 6-2 on the year.

Vincent opened up area play with a 48-31 victory on the road over the Central Cougars of Coosa County on Thursday, Dec. 12 before defeating its county foe the Shelby County Wildcats on Friday, Dec. 13 by a score of 46-44 at Vincent Middle High School.

The Jackets offense got off to a strong start as TK Smoot and KK McGinnis each scored multiple baskets in the first quarter.

As a result, Vincent took an 11-6 lead into the second quarter and only built off it from there.

McGinnis continued to pace the offense in the second, scoring six points off a pair of field goals and a pair of free throws.

Combined with free throws from MaKayla Perkins and another basket from Kinsley Perkins helped the Jackets score 10 points in the second, extending their halftime lead to 21-14 in the process as Vincent’s defense kept Central from scoring double figures for the second straight quarter.

McGinnis and the Perkins both led the way once again for the Jackets attack, with McGinnis scoring four more points in the third to add on to her 10 from the first half and the Perkins combining for seven third quarter points.

However, this time they got help in the form of a basket from Kaziyah Moon and a 3-pointer from Daniah Jordan, the first points of the night for each of them.

The Cougars had multiple opportunities to close the gap on the free throw line but couldn’t take advantage, going just 1-for-8 from the foul stripe in the quarter. That left Vincent up 37-24 as the fourth quarter began.

The Jackets continued to pull away during the fourth quarter, using four-point quarters from MaKayla and Kinsley Perkins and McGinnis’ last basket of the evening to seal the 17-point win.

McGinnis led the way with 16 points while Kinsley scored 11 points and MaKayla had 10 points. Smoot finished with five points, all of which came in the opening quarter.

Vincent took that momentum into a tight battle the next night at home against Shelby County.

The Jackets offense flowed through McGinnis once again as she scored six of her team’s nine points in the first quarter.

The Wildcats looked to continue their success with Morgan Arnold leading the offense as the sophomore had all of Shelby County’s seven first-quarter points.

Vincent held a slight 9-7 lead going into the second quarter but pulled away a little bit more before the halftime break.

While McGinnis added another basket in the second, MaKayla led the way with her first five points of the game. Combined with points from Gracie Phillips and Emily Morgan, the Jackets held off a more balanced attack from the Wildcats and took a 20-14 lead into the locker room.

Both offenses erupted in the third quarter and combined for 35 points. McGinnis and MaKayla each had five points in the third while Kinsley chipped in four points off her first two field goals of the evening. Taniya Robertson also knocked down a 3-pointer to get onto the scoresheet.

Arnold paced Shelby County with nine points, which was half of her team’s total offensive output in the third. Sanyia Floyd added her first four points of the game to help the Wildcats outscore the Jackets 18-17, leaving Vincent’s lead at the end of the third at 37-32.

Arnold willed Shelby County to stay in the game, scoring 10 of her team’s 12 points as she took over the fourth quarter. However, the Jackets survived the rally by going 4-for-6 from the free throw line, securing the 2-point victory.

McGinnis was once again the leading scorer with 16 points. MaKayla finished with 10 points, Kinsley had eight points and Smoot scored five points.

Arnold scored a game-high 28 points for the Wildcats. Daleigh Griffin finished with five points and Emily Dixon scored four points.

Vincent will be back in action on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m. for its next area match against Central-Coosa County at Vincent Middle High School.

Shelby County will also be at home, looking to improve on its 8-2 start with a win over Thorsby. That game will be on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m. as well.

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