By Staff
Charles Prince, Hartselle Enquirer
The Hartselle Lady Tigers opened area play with a 12-point win over visiting Muscle Shoals on Monday night. The Tigers lost by seven and slipped below the .500 mark.
Lady Tigers 64, Lady Trojans 52
Muscle Shoals raced to a 15-8 lead, but Hartselle would battle back to take first lead at 23-22 midway through the second period. The Lady Tigers would extend the lead to eight by halftime, 30-22.
In the third period the lead would grow to 45-30, but by the end of three Muscle Shoals had pulled within nine at 47-38.
The Lady Trojans chipped away with defensive pressure and a fast break offense. With 4:11 left in the game, Muscle Shoals crept within two at 52-50. The Lady Trojans had the ball with a chance to tie the game, but a missed shot turned into a Hartselle fast break. Shan Jones collected the rebound and passed to Mary Virginia Reeves, who drove the lane for an easy basket to spark a 12-4 run and secure the win.
Jones scored a game-high 22 points, followed by Reeves with 15. Anna Reeves and Lauren Drake scored 10 each, while Jessica Andrews added five and Kayla Orr scored two.
Jones grabbed 10 rebounds, while Drake collected eight, Anna Reeves five and Tiffahne Orr three.
Lady Tigers 59, Lady Rebels 11
Hartselle rolled to a 33-4 halftime lead over outclassed West Morgan on their way to a 48-point win.
Jones led the way with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Whitney Fulmer and Andrews had seven each. Drake and Orr had six each, while Shauntee Smith and Mary Virginia Reeves had four each. Hillary Dukes scored three, while Anna Reeves had two more.
Drake grabbed eight rebounds, while Anna Reeves collected six and Lauren Davis and Smith had five each. Mary Virginia Reeves had four rebounds.
Lady Bearcats 53, Lady Tigers 47
For the first time since 1998, the Cullman Lady Bearcats topped Hartselle on the basketball floor. Cullman lead 30-23 at the half, but the Lady Tigers came of the intermission with baskets on four straight trips up the floor to take a 31-30 lead.
Cullman's Caroline Weatherly hit a three-point shot on the next possession to give Cullman a lead they would never lose.
Jones and Andrews scored 11 each, while Drake added 10 more. Mary Virginia Reeves had seven, Anna Reeves six and Tiffahne Orr had two.
Four Lady Tigers fouled out in a very physical game. Hartselle is now 7-2 on the year.
Tigers 42, Rebels 36
Hartselle came from behind to beat a tough West Morgan team by six points. Keith Rodgers lead the way with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Samuel Massey, Alex Flannagin and Alex Thompson scored five each. Daxton Maze and Jackson Holmes had three each, while Justin Billings and Eric Norwood scored two each. "It was your typical Hartselle-West Morgan game," Hartselle head coach Johnny Berry said. "We just made some shots right at the end and they didn't. We're glad to get out of this one with a win."
Trojans 70, Tigers 63
Hartselle fell behind by 11 early in the third period and never recovered as the visitors from Muscle Shoals High School won the area opener for both schools. The Tigers cut the lead to three at 63-60, but would get no closer as they fell to 4-5 overall.
"This is tough," Berry said. "We lost an area game at home. Now we need to win at their place to make it up."
Rodgers scored a game-high 20, followed by Massey with 13, Holmes with 11 and Norwood with 10. Billings scored four, while Maze added three and Steven Chop had two points.
Rodgers and Norwood grabbed 10 rebounds each.
Bearcats 64, Tigers 45
The Bearcats won their seventh straight game to begin the season with an easy win over the Tigers. Cullman lead by eight after one period and 16 at the half.
Rodgers lead Hartselle with 17 points, Norwood added 10, Massey and Billings had five each, while Maze had three and Nathan Kimbrell scored two. Chop, Thompson and Flannagin all scored one point. Hartselle slipped to 4-6.