Jermaine Savage has been a success in many, many ways—as a high school and college basketball player, as a state trooper and deputy sheriff, as an assistant coach and as a parent of young athletes.

Now we can add starting a head coaching career in Russellville to his resume.

In his first game as bench boss, the very young Lady Panthers crushed visiting Hart County 53-31 in not only their first game of the season, but also the first game that counts of any team from the Land of Logan.

Forty-eight of the 51 points came from sophomores, freshmen and an eighth grader, as did all but one rebound.

Top scorers were sophomore Abbagale Riley with 14 points, freshman Mariyah Merriweather with 13. and eighth grader Demyiah Allen with 10. Also scoring were senior Aubreigh Cross, sophomores M’Riyah Boyd and Kaitlyn Allen, and freshmen Legna Taylor and Aliza Wilson.

RHS pulled down 25 rebounds. Boyd led the way with 8 while Allen added 6 and Riley 5.

Merriweather hit an impressive 4 of 6 three-point attempts. Cross had one, and the team finished with 5 of 10 from long range. Riley was 6 of 9 from two-point range and Allen 5 of 12. The team struggled at the free throw line, going just 5 of 14 for 35.7 percent.

The Lady Panther defense held the Lady Raiders to poor shooting. They hit just 22.9 percent overall, including just 2 of 13 from long range.

Addison Devore led the visitors in scoring with 9 points. Bryna Cain scored 6 and Ava England 5 for Coach Jessica Lindsey’s team.

Hart County did well on the boards, out-rebounding the Lady Panthers 37-25. Navaeh Haskins had an impressive 12 boards.

The Lady Panthers will be back in action tonight at Greenwood.