Dragons win girls’ braggin’ rights over Valle
Reynolds gets first win as temp Varsity coach
By MICHAEL BOYD JR.
HERALD SPORTS EDITOR
Valle Catholic sophomore Madelyn Griffard (14) battles Ste. Genevieve senior Ava Meyer for the basketball during the “Braggin’ Rights” girls’ game at SGHS’s Peggy J. Johnson Memorial Gymnasium last Monday. The Dragons won 38-18. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOYD JR./HERALD SPORTS EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER)
Ste. Genevieve sophomore Sadie Greminger shoots the basketball as Valle Catholic senior Bri Hibbetts (23) contests the shot during the Dragons’ 38-18 victory over the Warriors in the annual “braggin’ rights” Old Settlement girls’ hoops showdown last at SGHS’ Peggy J. Johnson Memorial Gymnasium in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. last Monday (Jan. 16). (PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOYD JR./HERALD SPORTS EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER)
STE, GENEVIEVE, Mo. — Alli Byington committed grand theft and profitted quite nicely because of it and assistant coach Ann Fallert-Reynolds earned her first ever Varsity victory as lead coach as Ste. Genevieve rolled to town “bragging rights” 38-18 over Valle Catholic during the annual Old Settlement girls’ basketball showdown last Monday (Jan. 16) at SGHS.
The senior gave the staff-depleted Warriors a heckuva a fit on the Peggy J. Johnson Memorial Gymnasium floor offensively and defensively, just missing a double-double in the process on her way to player of the game.
Byington was the only one in the game to score in double figures with 15 points and a 3-pointer on 7-of-13 shooting, most of those points coming off her nine steals, while she also grabbed five rebounds.
The Dragons (6-5) had no trouble with Valle (1-14) from tipoff.
The Warriors did not score a field goal until 4:35 of the second quarter due to the Dragons’ halfcourt pressure. They shot just 28% from the floor and were 3 for 7 from the foul line.
But Valle’s own aggressiveness and willingness to hit the floor made it a slow start for the host as well. The Dragons shot just 30% from the hardwood and were only 2 for 5 from the charity stripe.
The Dragons led 6-1 after one quarter, 14-5 at intermission, but got rolling the third period using a 17-0 run to lead 31-12 heading into the final frame.
In all, Valle had 34 turnovers to Ste. Genevieve’s 17, but the Warriors outrebounded the Dragons 30-22. Ste. Genevieve’s bench outscored the Warriors 11-0, mainly nine points and a trey from sophomore Sadie Greminger.
Junior Kiki Asher added eight points, three assists and five rebounds for the Dragons. Sophomore Kayden Huck had four points and four rebounds, and sophomore Chloe Staffen had six rebounds and two points.
Sophomore Madelyn Griffard led Valle with six points, nine rebounds and three steals despite three first quarter fouls. She did manage to finish the game.
Junior Nicole Gegg had five points with a trey. Junior Rylee Overmann had four points.
Sophomore Brooklyn Weibrecht had three points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Reynolds has no plans to become a Varsity head coach anywhere as she is busy being the longtime AAU girls’ basketball coach in town.
The Valle graduate and current Ste. Geneveive Elementary staff member took the reins for the Dragons this night after head coach Jordanna Walk-Robinson was ejected during their home conference loss to North County the week before.
Robinson had to miss this game per MSHSAA rules, and therefore Reynolds is 1-0 in her Varsity debut.
Reynolds is the wife of Jamie Reynolds, the former Ste. Genevieve youth wrestling director and former Ste. Genevieve Impact youth football head coach.
And so, the Dragons are back above .500 for the moment and have defeated Valle for the second time this season. They beat Valle 49-22 during the third round of the Valle Invitational on Dec. 1.
