Ruritan hoops tourney begins-Ruritan hoops tourney begins

Monday night in the opening game of the Morrison Ruritan Tournament, the Lady Tigers of Irving College and Lady Warriors of Centertown kicked things off. The Lady Warriors defeated the Lady Tigers 39-32 in seventh–and eighth-grade action.

Centertown’s Annie Jones and Lacie Varner scored one basket each in the opening minute of play. Irving College answered with back-to-back baskets from Becca Smith and a 3-pointer from Lolita Terrazas, but that would be all the Lady Tigers would score in the period. Centertown added six more points to the board and held a 10-5 lead by the end of the period.

Irving College came out in the second period and put eight unanswered points on the board with baskets from DeNeeka Cole and Terrazas to take a 13-10 lead. But Centertown turned up the pressure on defense, coming up with three steals resulting in easy baskets from Katie Simmons, Olivia Rosenboom, Jones and Varner to regain the lead. By the end of the first half Centertown held a 21-18 advantage.

Irving College’s offense struggled in the third period as the Lady Tigers had just three points. Centertown got baskets from Rosenboom, Varner and Jones and extended its lead to 28-21 by the end of the third period.

Smith hit from the paint for the Lady Tigers to open the final period of play. But Varner ran the floor hitting back-to-back baskets for the Lady Warriors. Irving College tried to make a late run from the foul line hitting four of eight down the stretch. But Centertown added a pair of baskets in the final minute of play to hold of the Lady Tigers and advance to the second round Thursday night.

For the Lady Warriors, Jones hit for 18 points. Varner had 17, Rosenboom and Simmons had two points each.

Terrazas led the Lady Tigers with 13 points. Smith added nine, Bess hit for five, Ashley Rarick added four and Sarah Wilmoth added one point.