Tullahoma High School basketball teams hosted Giles County for the last regular season game on Thursday. The Lady ‘Cats win guaranteed them first place and a regular season district title. The Wildcats win put them in a four-way tie at second place, the exact seeding for the district was finalized in the district meeting Friday but were unavailable at the time of print.
Lady Bobcats - 11
Lady Wildcats - 70
Tullahoma’s starting lineup changed slightly Thursday, they started their three seniors. Nyjah Gibbs and Lily Melton are normal starters, but Emilee Shuran got the start for senior night. The three senior Lady ‘Cats along with the senior Tullahoma Cheerleaders were honored at halftime of the boys’ game.
McLayne Bobo led the Lady Wildcats in scoring with 22 points. Bobo scored 13 of the first 17 points in the game. Lakaiyah Barnes scored 13, she hit three shots from long range. Gibbs scored 12 points with 6 in the third quarter.
The Lady ‘Cats dominated the first quarter getting up 21-0 before the Lady Bobcats banked in a 3-pointer for their only points of the first. Bobo led the scoring in the quarter with 13. Gibbs had 6 points on three made baskets. Isabella Lidstrom scored 4 points making two shots. The Wildcats led 23-3 after the first.
The second quarter was all Tullahoma, as the won the quarter 11-0. Bobo led the scoring again with 4 points, hitting two shots. Melton scored 3 points, making a shot from the field and the foul line. Shuran and Lidstrom both scored 2 points, scoring from the field. Tullahoma had an enormous 31 point lead at halftime.
The Lady Wildcats were on fire in the third scoring 25 points. Barnes led the way scoring 8 points. She swished two 3-pointers in the quarter. Gibbs scored 6 points making two shots from the field and both of her free throws. Melton scored 5 points, making a shot from the field and also converting an and-one. Bobo scored 3 points, hitting a shot from beyond the arc. Faith Vincent scored 2 points in the third. Lidstrom scored 1, making a free throw. Giles County had their best offensive quarter scoring 8 points in the third.
The fourth quarter was a repeat of the second, with Tullahoma winning 11-0. Barnes led the Lady ‘Cats with 5 points. She made another long range shot and both of her free throw attempts. Brindley Duncan scored 4 points, hitting two shots. Bobo scored the other 2 points on a made field goal.
The Lady ‘Cats made 27 shots from the field, seven from downtown. They went 11-of-15 from the stripe.Â
Bobcats - 37
Wildcats - 64
Tullahoma has three seniors on this year’s team: Jaiden Sanchez, Malik Grizzard and Bryson Steverson. They were honored together at halftime of the Lady Wildcats’ game.
Xavier Farrell led the ‘Cats in scoring with 10 points, he made five shots from the field. DeAndre Jenkins scored 9 points, 4 in the third quarter. Austin Tinnon and Sanchez both scored 8 points. Tinnon hit four shots, while Sanchez hit three and made two free throws.
The first quarter was back and forth, but Tullahoma won the period 14-13. Grizzard and Sanchez led the way for the ‘Cats with 3 points each. Grizzard nailed a shot from beyond the arc. Sanchez converted an and-one. Jenkins, Tinnon, Farrell and Khani Johnson all scored 2 points. Jenkins made both of his free throw attempts. Johnson, Tinnon and Farrell all made shots from the field. Giles County was led by Jakiyah Englette with 6 points.
The Wildcats won the last six minutes of the first half 14-8 to take a 31-24 lead into the break. Farrell led the team with 4 points on two made shots. Keegan Taylor, Johnson and Sanchez each scored 3 points in the quarter. Taylor sunk a shot from long range. Johnson and Sanchez made a shot from the field and a free throw. Grizzard and Tinnon scored 2 points in the quarter on made field goals. Casen Howard and Malachi Brown led the Bobcats with 3 points in the quarter.
Tullahoma separated from Giles County in the third quarter going on a 16-2 run throughout the period. Farrell and Jenkins led the way with 4 points in the quarter. They both made two shots from the field. Johnson, Tinnon, Sanchez and Jayden Thompson all scored 2 points each. They all made a field goal. Englette made the only basket for Giles County in the third. Tullahoma led 47-26 going into the fourth.
The Wildcats won the fourth quarter 17-11, winning every quarter of the contest. Thompson and Sam Bobo led the ‘Cats in scoring with 4 points each. They both made two shots from the field. Jenkins hit a shot from distance for 3 points in the quarter. Tinnon, Lucas Price and Cayden Poff scored 2 points. Poff made 2 free throws. Tinnon and Price both made shots from the field. Giles was led by Englette with 4 points in the fourth.
Tullahoma hit 27 shots from the field, just three from long range. They went 7-of-11 at the free throw line. Giles County hit 13 shots, like Tullahoma just three 3-pointers. They went 8-of-14 from the stripe.
