Peebles sophomore Abigail Smalley became one of the area’s top three-point shooters this season, hitting 38 bombs from behind the arc. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
Peebles junior Caydence Carroll was one of the top scorers and rebounders in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference this season. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Going into games on Thursday, February 2, the Peebles Lady Indians had an opportunity to clinch the outright championship of the small school division of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference. The Lady Indians had a one-game lead over Whiteoak and only needed to pull off a road win at Lynchburg to claim sole possession of the SHAC crown.
Unfortunately for the Peebles squad, that scenario didn’t work out. Their trip to Lynchburg ended with a 58-46 loss, while at the same time Whiteoak was defeating Manchester 63-27, leaving the two teams as co-champions of the SHAC small school division, both ending with 7-6 conference marks.
The Lady Indians ended the regular season with an overall record of 13-9, the loss at Lynchburg snapping their late season six-game winning streak.
Peebles was led in the regular season by junior guard Payton Johnson, who eclipsed the career 1,000 point mark, and finished as the second leading scorer in the SHAC at 24.0 points a game. Playing as point guard, Johnson was also one of the top rebounders in the conference, at 9.2 boards a game, many of those offensive rebounds.
Junior Caydence Carroll and sophomore Abigail Smalley also came up big at times for the Lady Indians, averaging 8.3 and 7.4 points a game respectively. Smalley also emerged as a legitimate three-point threat, sinking 38 from beyond the arc in the regular season.
As a team, the Lady Indians averaged 52 points a game and now are focusing their attention on their first sectional tournament outing in a new setting this season as they have moved up to the very rough Southeast District Division III bracket.
Coach Sidney Pell’s squad faces a tough challenge, though they are immediately in a sectional championship game as the #14 seed. the Lady Indians will be on the road on Saturday, February 18 at 1 -.m., facing the Minford Lady Falcons and looking for a trip to the district semi-finals.
