The Tullahoma High School basketball teams were at Marshall County on Friday for the District 8 AAA tournament semifinals. The Lady Wildcats beat the Lady Tigers for the third time this season to advance to the District Championship game for the second straight season. The Wildcats fell behind in the second quarter and could not comeback, falling to Lawrence County.
Marshall County - 36
Lady Wildcats - 48
The Lady ‘Cats were led in scoring by Lily Melton with 14 points. She scored 11 points in the second half. McLayne Bobo scored 12 points, she sunk two 3-pointers.
The first quarter was a defensive battle, the teams combine to make just three field goals. The Lady ‘Cats only scored 4 points. Melton made two free throws and Nyjah Gibbs hit a shot for the team’s only points. They trailed 5-4 after the quarter. Maggie Steely led the Lady Tigers with 3 points on a make from beyond the arc.
Tullahoma got on track in the second, winning the quarter 12-7. Bobo led the way in the period with 5 points. She hit a shot from downtown and both of her free throw attempts. Faith Vincent scored 3 points. She made a shot from the field and the foul line. Aubrey North also scored 3 points on a make from long range. Melton added the other point for the team from the stripe. Marshall County was led by Meshawna Ridley with 6 points. She made a 3-pointer and three free throws. Tullahoma led 16-12 at halftime.
The Lady ‘Cats had their best quarter in the third winning the period by 8 points. Melton led the team in scoring with 5 points, including a 3-pointer from right in front of the bench at the buzzer. Bobo and Gibbs both scored 4 points. Bobo made two shots from the field. Gibbs made a field goal and two free throws. Isabella Lidstrom scored 3 points making a shot from the top of the key. Emilee Shuran and North both added 2 points from in the paint. Ridley led the Lady Tigers with 8 points in the third. The Lady Wildcats led 36-24 going into the fourth.
Tullahoma held on in the fourth quarter matching every score by the Tigers, both teams scored 12 in the period. Melton led the ‘Cats in scoring with 6 points. She made two shots and two free throws. Bobo and Gibbs both scored 3 point. Bobo made another shot from beyond the arc. Gibbs made a shot from the field and a free throw. Ridley scored 7 points for Marshall County.
The Lady Wildcats made 16 shots from the field, five from beyond the arc. They went 11 of 22 from the foul line. The Lady Tigers made 11 shots from the field, four from long range. They shot 10 of 18 from the stripe.
Lawrence County - 49
Wildcats - 34
Tullahoma was led in scoring by DeAndre Jenkins 10 points. He scored 6 in the third quarter. Jaiden Sanchez scored 9 points, 4 in the first.
The ‘Cats had their best quarter in the first winning the period 13-9. Xavier Farrell led the Wildcats in scoring with 5 points. He made two shots from the field and a free throw. Sanchez scored 4 points, making two shots in the paint. Khani Johnson and Jenkins scored 2 points. Johnson went 2 of 2 from the foul line and Jenkins made a field goal. Alex Bedford and Colton Tucker led Lawrence County with 3 points each, making shots from beyond the arc. Â
Tullahoma struggled in the second quarter. The hit just two shots while giving up 21 points. Jayden Thompson hit the first shot while being fouled and then hit the free throw to convert the and-one. Sanchez hit the other shot. Wes Brewer led Lawrence County with 11 points, including three makes from downtown. Tullahoma trailed 30-18 at halftime.
The Wildcats came out of the break strong winning the third quarter. Jenkins led the team in scoring with 6 points. He made two shots from the field and the foul line. Sanchez scored 3 points making one field goal and one shot from the stripe. Johnson added a point at the foul line. Bedford led Lawrence with 5 points, hitting two shots. The Wildcats trailed 37-28.
Tullahoma got their deficit down to nine with 3:27 left in the game but could not get any closer. Johnson scored the most points for the ‘Cats with 4. He made two shots from the field. Jenkins scored the other 2 points from the field. Braden Fields led Lawrence County with 4 points in the fourth.
The Wildcats made 13 field goals, all from inside the 3-point line. They went 8-of-11 from the foul line. Lawrence County hit 18 field goals, eight form beyond the arc. They went 5-of-6 from the stripe.
The Lady Wildcats took on Central Magnet in the District Championship game on last night and won 54-41. The Wildcats take on Marshall County tonight at 6 p.m. The Lady ‘Cats will host their Region quarterfinal game Friday at 7 p.m. while the ‘Cats will travel for their quarterfinal game Saturday at 7 p.m.
