JACKSON ‹ Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.
Those words were never more apparent than in Thursday¹s girls basketball
contest between Gallia Academy and Jackson, as the Blue Angels (9-5, 3-4)
avenged an earlier 56-25 loss by placing four players in double figures for
an impressive 55-46 victory in Southeastern Ohio Athletic League play.
Snow accumulation continued to mount as the contest progressed, but neither
the rival Ironladies (9-7, 3-5) nor Mother Nature could cool off The Blue
and White. The visitors hit 19 of 39 field goal attempts (49 percent) and
nailed 17 of 24 free throws to claim the team’s second consecutive win.
Kari James posted her fifth-straight double double in the contest, leading
GAHS with 17 points and 12 rebounds. It was her interior play that continued
to draw the focus of the Ironladies (9-7, 3-5) defense, which opened the
door for the rest of Gallia Academy to take advantage of.
That was exactly what they did.
³We¹ve tried all year long to involve the rest of the team. We have had
situations where we rely on Kari and Jackie (Wamsley) so much that other
teams just focus on taking them out,² said GAHS interim coach Chris
Ellcessor. ³Tonight we had four players go for double figures and there was
no shred of selfishness on the floor. As a coach, you can’t ask for anymore
than what the girls gave tonight.²
Jackie Wamsley added 14 markers to the victory, while Lindsay Caldwell and
Kayla Perry each stepped up nicely with 11 points apiece.
Tiffany Sanders rounded out the scoring with a basket, with Katlin Maher
adding a pair of assists in the 40-point swing.
³To come to Jackson after what happened in the first contest and pull off
this win, there are not a whole lot of words that I can say to express this
feeling,² commented Ellcessor. ³That’s what we needed before tournament
time. This is the kind of win that can make us turn the corner.²
The Blue Angels had a plus-1 edge in rebounding (27-26) and assists (12-11),
and also held advantages in steals (6-4) and blocks (4-0).
Jennilyn Martin followed Leali with 10 points, while Brittany Logan and
Brittany Christian each had six in the setback.
Gallia Academy hit 7-of-11 charity tosses down the stretch to secure the
outcome, while Jackson was unsuccessful on all six of its tries in the
contest. The hosts shot just 36 percent (20-56) from the field.
The guests led 15-11 after eight minutes, 25-23 at half and 38-34 after
three quarters of play. The win ended a three-game losing streak to The Red
and White.
GAHS made it an evening sweep with a 37-19 victory in the junior varsity
tilt. Lindsey Niday paced the Angels with nine points, while Ryann Leslie
chipped in eight to the win. Kaylee Fulks guided the Ironladies with five
markers.
Gallia Academy looks to continue its good road fortunes Saturday when they
travel to Cheshire to take on River Valley.

Gallia Academy 55, Jackson 46
Gallia Academy 15 10 13 17 ‹ 55
Jackson 11 12 11 12 ‹ 46
GALLIA ACADEMY (9-5, 3-4) ‹ Jackie Wamsley 3 8-8 14, Tiffany Sanders 1 0-0
2, Lindsay Caldwell 5 1-2 11, Kayla Perry 3 5-6 11, Katlin Maher 0 0-0 0,
Kari James 7 3-8 17. TOTALS ‹ 19 17-24 55.
JACKSON (9-7, 3-5) ‹ Kelly Smith 0 0-0 0, Brittany Christian 2 0-0 6,
Jennilynn Martin 4 0-0 10, Victoria Leali 6 0-3 13, Bethany Wood 2 0-0 4,
Kayla McMillen 1 0-0 3, Ashley Spriggs 2 0-0 4, Brittany Logan 3 0-3 6.
TOTALS ‹ 20 0-6 46.
3-point goals ‹ GA 0, Jackson 6 (Christian 2, Martin 2, McMillen, Leali).