WBB: Ladycats find formula, pop Tenaha
squad during Tuesday night's game in Bearcat Gymnasium. (Photo
by John Krueger)
BECKVILLE, Tx -- Ever since they lost a lead and allowed Tenaha to come from behind to defeat them in their first meeting of the District 22-1A D-I powerhouses this season, the Beckville Ladycats had been pointing to Tuesday's rematch of the league's heavyweights here in Bearcat Gymnasium. This time Beckville found the winning formula to knock off the defending league champs as they led from the outset and secured a 47-36 win.
Although the district race is far from over with four games remaining, both Beckville and Tenaha, who own identical 13-12 season records, both control their own destiny in their respective quests for the district championship. The Ladycats have games at Timpson, at home against Gary, at Shelbyville and at home against Garrison left. The Lady Tigers travel to Gary Friday, then host Garrison, travel to Timpson and host Shelbyville to close out the regular season schedule.
If Tenaha and Beckville are tied at the end of the regular season they will square off in a one-game playoff at a site to be determined to decide the district champion. But four games in 22-1A means a lot of opportunity for either team to slip up.
"You can't let up at this point," said Beckville head coach Britney Redfearn. "We're not looking anywhere ahead except to the next game. We just want to focus more on us and less on the other teams we play and do the things we do well against each opponent we face."
Tenaha head coach Laura Holmes knows this is no time for her team to have a further letdown either after taking the tough loss on the road.
"I thought (Beckville) truly outplayed us," Holmes said after the setback. "They outhustled us and they killed us on the boards. (Redfearn) had a great game plan and they shut us down on the boards.
"But the main thing I told our team is that we're still in first, there's just someone else with us. We just have to come out and do what we've been doing in the five games before tonight. We just had a bad game and need to come back and play like I know we can."
In other league results from Tuesday night, Timpson (7-11) moved into a third-place tie with Garrison (6-12) with a 41-33 victory over the Lady Bulldogs. Shelbyville (14-9) snapped its four-game losing skid and improved to 2-4 with a 37-25 victory over Gary (3-11). The Lady Bobcats are currently 0-6.
With four games remaining in the regular season and only three losses separating spots first through fifth in District 22-1A, each game will be magnified from this point. Beckville will be in Timpson on Friday in a huge matchup, while Tenaha travels to Gary and Garrison will host Shelbyville with a lot on the line.
In Tuesday night's game, three Ladycats scored in double figures in the win. T'Ouja Adams scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the second half for Beckville, while Maya Bradford knocked down 11, Ivy Rieke had 10 points, while Cheyenne Haynes scored six, Devin Woodall dropped in three and Taylor Swann pitched in one point.
"T'Ouja has really started to come along and finish her shots," Redfearn pointed out. "Even before Christmas she was coming on and playing better all around. She's definitely making a difference with her consistent rebounding and she's part of the glue that holds this team together. She's playing like a senior and I'm proud of her for doing that."
Ashlee Ray paced Tenaha with 14 points, with Jalysa Steadman pitching in eight, Eboni Moore finishing with four, Tiara Williams scoring three and Tia Thomas and Courtney Edwards each finishing with two points.
Beckville was determined early on two grab the momentum and hold it before the near-capacity crowd. The contest was physical throughout, but Rieke took charge in the first quarter, scoring six points, while Haynes added four more and BHS opened up a 12-4 lead after the initial period.
"They came out with a lot of intensity and a lot of pressure," Holmes assessed. "I thought were rushing everything offensively and took some bad shots. We just weren't saying within the structure that we had been doing the previous five games."
Both teams committed four turnovers in the second quarter and Beckville was able extend its lead slightly, holding a 25-12 lead at the break.
Despite eight turnovers in the third quarter, the Ladycats were able to hold their lead, heading into the final period with a 35-22 advantage.
But Tenaha started to make a run, trimming the lead to six, 41-35, with a 9-0 run over a span of 2:52 of the period. But the Lady Tigers were in foul trouble, with Killey and Thomas picking up their fourth fouls.
Adams then made a huge turn-around jumper in the paint with 3:01 remaining to stop the 'bleeding', and she followed that by converting an offensive rebound with 2:27 on the clock to stretch Beckville's lead to 45-35.
Tenaha only managed 1-of-2 free throws in the final 3:12 and Bradford hit a 10-foot jumper with 53 seconds remaining to seal the win.