By Staff
Justin Schuver, Hartselle Enquirer
HANCEVILLE – The Lady Patriots' usual best friend left them at the worst possible time.
No. 9 Brewer, which came into Tuesday's game shooting 37 percent from the three-point line, was 3-of-21 from behind the arc in a 52-40 loss to No. 8 Wenonah in the semifinals of the Northwest Regional at Wallace State Tuesday morning.
"It definitely didn't fall for us," Brewer coach Ricky Allen said. "We usually shoot about 18 three-pointers a game and to make just 3-of-21, that says a lot."
All of Brewer's three-pointers came in the first quarter as the Lady Patriots built up a 15-10 lead. Wenonah battled back to take a 24-23 lead at halftime, then outscored the Lady Patriots 14-4 in the third quarter to break the game open.
"We didn't do the things that we wanted to do in the ball game," Allen said. "We really dug ourselves a hole there in the third quarter; at one point we were being out-rebounded 11-0, and not only did we not get rebounds, but we didn't make any shots.
"You're not going to win a lot of ball games when you score four points in a quarter."
The Lady Patriots did not quit, making it a competitive game in the fourth quarter. After Wenonah's Jasmine Tate hit a three-pointer to make the Lady Dragons' lead 41-27, Brewer took off on a 13-1 run.
"I told our girls that we were going to have to play the whole ball game because you knew Brewer wouldn't quit," Wenonah coach Emanuel Tubb Bell said. "They might not be very tall, but they're quick and scrappy."
Morgan Crawley forced a steal on an inbounds play and scored a lay-up with 2:15 left to cut Wenonah's lead down to 42-40. Wenonah's Bridgette Barnfield drove the lane and collided with Brewer's Courtney Scott, who was called for a blocking foul. Barnfield hit both free throws and Wenonah closed out the game with a 10-0 run.
Allen disagreed with the call.
"I thought that was the turning point of the game," he said. "You've got kids who have battled and want to decide it on their own, and I'm sorry, but I don't think they got the chance. I know that's crying and everything, but I still said it."
Scott led the Lady Patriots with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Andrea Crawford added eight points for Brewer (23-8). Crawley finished with seven points and Meagan Hormel pulled down five rebounds.
Scott was especially strong in the first half, when she scored 12 of the Lady Patriots' 23 points.
"Courtney saved the best game of her life for her last high school game," Allen said. "She did it offensively for us; she did it defensively for us. And Andrea has never backed down and did everything she could do for us today."
Tate led the Lady Dragons with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Wenonah (25-7) advances to play Hartselle in the regional finals Friday at 9 a.m.
Brewer's loss snapped a 13-game winning streak that dated back to a Jan. 12 loss to Hartselle. Included in that streak was a Morgan County championship and the Area 13 championship.
"This has been the most pleasant year I've ever had, because my five seniors are all awesome leaders," Allen said. "And the other kids are all awesome followers. They've heard this from me many times; you can't be a good leader unless you're a good follower.
"This group won 23 ball games; we're not going to leave this place upset."
The Brewer seniors were Scott, Crawford, Genie Browning, Michelle Tillman and Heather Childers.