By Jason Peevhouse Sports Editor

 

     Just a little over a year removed from a loss in the regional semifinals, the Gleason Lady Bulldogs stamped their ticket to the Region 7-A finals as well as a substate berth on Saturday night. Despite a valiant second half effort from the Union City girls, the Lady Bulldogs got six straight points to end the game and seal a 37-31 win over the Lady Tornadoes in the Region 7-A semifinals at West Carroll High School on Monday night.

     Neither team got much offense in the beginning as a jumper and a pair of free throws from Kayla Hudson countered a Mary Steward trey to make the score 4-3 midway through the first frame. A Brittany Taylor deuce sparked a brief Union City run that saw the Lady Tornadoes take a 9-6 lead after four points from Labrica Ward. But, a late three-pointer from Candace Green tied the game at 9-9 at the end of the first frame.

     A Ward jumper early in the second stanza allowed the Lady Tornadoes to retake the lead, but that lead would not last long. Four points from Hudson, along with a Riley Auvenshine jumper put the Lady Dawgs on top by four with 5:32 left in the first half. Though Union City answered with deuces from Debrisha Robinson and Doreal Strayhorn to counter a Green three-pointer, Gleason ended the first half with a 9-0 run. A three-point play from Hudson and five points from Green gave the Lady Bulldogs a 27-15 lead at the break.

     However, the momentum shifted in the second half. Union City got six points from Taylor and a pair of free throws from Robinson to cut the Gleason lead to four points with 2:49 left in the third stanza. A Taylor Stout layup finally ended the Union City run, but the Lady Tornadoes got a late Taylor tally to cut the Gleason lead to 29-25 at the end of three frames.

(Read the rest of this story in this week's edition of  The Dresden Enterprise!)

By Jason Peevhouse Sports Editor

 

     Though some may have thought this was going to be a rebuilding year for the Westview girls, the Lady Chargers continued their postseason journey, clinching at least two more games this season after defeating the Milan Lady Bulldogs 47-41 on Saturday night in the semifinals of the Region 7-AA Tournament at Gibson County High School.

     The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead as three points from Chantel Poston helped counter a jumper from Kendra Owens and a free throw from Amber Rechis to give Milan a 6-3 lead with 2:44 left in the first frame. Both teams swapped buckets for the next couple of minutes, including treys from Milan’s Shamiqua Gray and Westview’s Owens. But, back-to-back buckets from Owens and Rechis put the Lady Chargers ahead 12-11 at the end of the first frame.

     Milan retook the lead early in the second frame as deuces from Poston and Teena Carter gave the Lady Bulldogs a 15-12 lead with 5:13 left in the first half. It was all Westview from there though as a three-pointer from Rechis sparked an 11-0 run to end the first half and gave the lady Chargers a 23-15 lead at the break.

     Four quick points from Poston cut the lead in half early in the third frame, but a trey from Owens and a three-point play from Rechis put the Westview advantage to 10 points with just over five minutes left in the frame. Milan rallied with eight points from Poston to counter another Owens trey. Westview was able to rebuild its lead to 36-27 after two late jumpers from B.B. Brooks and Owens to end the third stanza.

(Read the rest of this story in the February 28th edition of The Dresden Enterprise!)

By Jason Peevyhouse Sports Editor

 

     The Gleason Lady Bulldogs clinched a spot in the Region 7-A semifinal, fending off a pesky Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central team, taking a 58-42 decision on the Lady Tigers home court in the quarterfinal round of the Region 7-A Tournament at Central High School in Bruceton on Friday night.

     An early jumper from Amber Kendall put the Lady Tigers on top to start the game just eight seconds into action, but a three-point play from Class A Miss Basketball finalist Kayla Hudson and a jumper from senior teammate Candace Green gave the Lady Bulldogs a 5-2 lead with 6:20 left in the first frame. However, HRBC rallied with a jumper from Jessica Willis and three free throws from Haly Haynes to retake the lead. After a Jenna Frazier jumper tied the game moments later, buckets from Kendall and Beatrice King put the Lady Tigers ahead by four with just over two minutes left to play in the opening stanza. But, Gleason had the final word in the quarter as a jumper from Hudson sparked a 10-0 run to end the frame. The run, aided by six points from freshman Taylor Stout, put the Lady Bulldogs up 17-11 at the end of one frame.

     The Lady Tigers rallied back to start the opening frame as three points from Kendall and a jumper from Brittany Farley cut the Gleason lead to one point with 6:24 remaining in the first half. Hudson responded with a deuce and a trey, but a three-pointer from Tabia Tharpe and a pair of King free throws cut the lead to a single point again with just under five minutes left in the first half. Hudson struck again, however, as a pair of layups by the senior standout sparked a 9-3 run that Hudson capped with four free throws on two separate fouls with seven seconds left to make the score 31-24 in the Lady Bulldogs favor at the halftime horn.

(Read the rest of this story, plus much more in this week's print edition of The Dresden Enterprise!)