It was another tough outing for the Jemison varsity girls basketball team, which suffered a 54-20 lose at home to Marbury on Jan. 23.

Freshman Ashlee Hilyer was one of the lone bright spots for the Panthers’ offense, which only had four points until Hilyer erupted for 11 third quarter points.

She was by far the team leader with 14 points.

Hilyer found success driving to the basket and was able to find creases in the defense and finished once she got there.

However, not only was she able to penetrate the lane, but she also showed her range by knocking down a pair of three-pointers.

The only other players to score included Grace Autery, Marybeth Porter and Marlana Wood, who each scored one basket.

With only three upperclassmen on the team, it is almost expected that a large percentage of the scoring output would come from freshmen and sophomores. That was the case against Marbury.

Although Karmen Mims was held scoreless, she still found ways to help her team by drawing an offensive charge on defense and being a vocal leader both on the court and on the bench.

It is the dedication of veteran players, such as Mims, and their willingness to help the next crop of athletes that will play a role in how quickly they grow as players.