A quickly improving, but still young (with only two returning starters), Polk County women’s varsity basketball team could not stop visiting Cherokee on Tuesday, Dec. 1, as the Braves’ early scoring surge helped them ride home with a 72-49 win.

Polk is now 1-1, with Western Highlands Conference competition beginning on Dec. 11 at Madison.

This Friday evening, the Wolverines host Landrum, a long-standing rival. On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the Wolverines visit East Henderson. All games are set to begin at 6:30.

Against Cherokee, Hayley Kropp scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and made four steals; while teammate Autumn Owen added 13 points, and six rebounds. Ansley Lynch grabbed six rebounds and three steals, but Polk was unable to stop the hot-shooting Braves, who led 26-11 after the first quarter, with help from a barrage of three pointers. Cherokee featured a dual attack of brilliant three-point shooting, and aggressive play near the net.

“We made some adjustments,” noted Wolverine Head Coach Brandy Alm. “We’ve improved greatly from our first scrimmage. I was very pleased with our performance,” Alm continued. “We’re going to continue to improve.”

No one could disagree. With only Kropp and Owen as returning starters, Polk played hard and aggressively, but even going to a zone defense in the third quarter did not stop the visitors.

Four Braves players, Shelby Wolfe (16 points), Tori Teesateskie (15), Pooh King (11) and Bree Stamper (10) scored in double figures.

“Our transition defense wasn’t there,” Alm admitted, but added, “We’re learning.”

Polk’s best quarter was the third, in which they adjusted, and outscored Cherokee 19-16, but the Braves still held a 42-30 half-time lead. Polk managed just 19 second-half points. Cherokee’s shooting, though not as torrid as in the first period, was still good enough to thwart the Wolverines.

In the second quarter Kropp and Owen each went two-for-two from the line, to cut the Braves’ lead to 29-23. Kropp went two-for two again, to cut the deficit to 29-25, but Polk could not catch up.