Dibrell girls dealt 1st loss

BY DALE STUBBLEFIELD

Lauren Wilkinson runs into the defensie pressure of Palmer’s Karastin Braden during Friday’s game.

Dibrell’s undefeated record came to an end Friday night in the Warren Masonic 125 Lodge tournament. The Lady Wildcats had little trouble marching threw the elementary league, until they ran into the Palmer Lady Bulldogs. Palmer’s Karastin Braden and Haley Coffett hit for 10 points each to lead their team to a 32-17 win over the Lady Wildcats in the Charlie Dalton gym.

Turnovers proved costly to the Lady Wildcats in the first period. Palmer scored the first four points of the game, after Dibrell turned the ball over three times in the opening minutes. Lauren Wilkinson put the Lady Wildcats on the board at the 3:01 mark, but Palmer’s Jama Jacks and Coffett responded with one basket each. Dibrell’s Emily Crawford hit one-of-two from the free throw line and just before the period ended Mary Roller made two-of-two as the quarter ended with Dibrell trailing 8-5.

The Lady Bulldogs once again scored the first four points of the game. Palmers defense held Dibrell scoreless until the 3:12 mark, when Wilkinson ran off five straight points. Trisha Mitchell made one-of-two from the line with :17 left in the half. But Palmer’s Braden hit a jumper in the paint at the buzzer to give her team a 14-11 lead at the break.

Tanisha Ramirez got Dibrell off to a good start in the third period with a bucket in the paint. But Palmer’s defense turned up the heat, which gave the Lady Bulldogs offense to run off seven unanswered points. Dibrell’s only other basket came at the end of the period from Peyton Wanamaker. By the end of the period Palmer had built a 21-15 advantage.

Dibrell’s offense struggled once again in the final period as the Lady Warriors scored just two points in the period. Palmer connected for 11 points to secure the victory and spoil Dibrell’s perfect record.

For Dibrell, Wilkinson hit for seven, Crawford had three, Roller, Wanamaker and Tanisha Ramirez added two points each and Mitchell added one point.

In addition to Braden and Coffetts’ 10 points each for Palmer, Jacks had six, Courtney Stiefel had three, Kami King added two and Savannah Cleek had one point.