Lady Pioneers take Overton title
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The win, the fifth straight for coach Ann Eades’ squad, was their third in as many days as Pearl-Cohn, Antioch and the Lady Wolverines all fell to the red-hot Lady Pioneers (8-4) during the tournament.
After leading by 13 points through the first quarter (17-4), the Lady Pioneers had to struggle to stay on top as the Lady Wolverines came battling back through the game’s final three periods.
Down 31-25 at the half, La Vergne clawed its way back behind strong outside shooting from Brittany Gambill and the inside presence of Raquel Roper, who cut the WCHS lead to a basket (45-43) before a shot from Leanne Pelham gave the Lady Pioneers a four-point edge after three quarters.
Through a close fourth quarter, the Lady Pioneers pulled ahead by seven points (56-49) as they tried to run time off the clock late in the period. But a pair of turnovers in the final minute allowed Roper and Danielle Giles to score six straight points, cutting the Lady Pioneer edge to 56-55.
Pelham hit two free throws to put WCHS on top 58-55 with just four seconds to play, then tipped away the Lady Wolverines’ inbounds pass, allowing the remaining seconds to tick off the clock.
Pelham finished with 27 points to lead the way for the Lady Pioneers, while Jasmine Ware and Whitney Pelham each had 11. Katie Simpson turned in a five-point night, while Linsey Cornelius chipped in four.
The Lady Pioneers had a distinct rebounding edge over their foes from Rutherford County, as they won the battle of the boards 33-11.
Roper’s 24 lead La Vergne, while Gambill had 14 — 12 on 3-pointers — and Giles also contributed 12.
• Warren County reached the championship with a relatively easy win Friday night, as they downed Antioch 61-50 in the semifinal round.
Four Lady Pioneers reached double figures in the final scoring tally, led by Leanne Pelham, who scored 13 of her team-high 15 points in the first half to help her squad to a 30-22 halftime edge after they trailed 14-13 through one quarter.
Ware was held scoreless in the first quarter, but came on strong throughout the rest of the game on her way to a 13-point night, and Simpson turned in one of her most productive offensive nights of the season, also netting 13 points.
Whitney Pelham was kept off the scorebook until after halftime, but helped keep Antioch at bay down the stretch with three second-half 3-pointers, including a four-point play in the fourth quarter. Cornelius rounded out Warren County’s winning effort, netting eight points.
Antioch’s Tamika Bowers had 16 points, while Chantelle Blakely had 12 and Tiffany Daniel scored 11.