By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief,
Dale County Chronicle
SLOCOMB—The Ariton Lady Cats came up short on the road Thursday night, falling 54-45 to Slocomb in a non-region game that saw Ariton battling without one of its key players.
Macileigh Bragg led the Lady Cats with a strong all-around performance, finishing with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals. Lizzy Woodfaulk added 10 points, while Ayari McCloud scored four points. KJ Woodfaulk and Madolyn Hudson each contributed three points, and Ely Knight and Natalie Beltran chipped in two points apiece.
Ariton played the game without junior AC Free, who was injured in Monday night’s contest. Head coach Bridget Whitehurst said the team felt the impact of her absence.
“You can totally tell the team struggled without AC Free,” Whitehurst said. “She was injured in Monday night’s game, and we found out yesterday that she has a torn ACL and will be having surgery on Monday. So, she is out for the season.”
Free’s absence in the game was felt because she is such a versatile player. Whitehurst said the team will rotate players to make up for the change in the team’s dynamics.
Free’s basketball season comes to an early end, but her athletic future remains bright. The Ariton junior has already committed to play softball at the University of South Alabama and remains optimistic about returning to competition once she has recovered from the injury.
Despite the loss and the adversity, the Lady Cats continue to push forward as they adjust to life without one of their leaders for the remainder of the season. Ariton’s girls will take on Providence Christian on Saturday, December 20, in a home game that starts at 2:00 p.m.
The Ariton girls’ basketball team is pictured with their coaches. AC Free, back row, Jersey #14, will be unable to play the remainder of the season after a torn ACL. She will have surgery tomorrow, and we at the Dale County Chronicle wish her a speedy recovery.
