Dibrell wins catfights: Lady Wildcats use big fourth to down Lady Tigers

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

Irving College’s DaRae Wells, along with Dibrell’s Virginia Prater and Kayla Bond, right, go for a loose ball during Monday’s game. (Rob Nunley photo)

Dibrell’s girls pulled away after a close first half Monday night, as they downed Irving College 24-17 in the opening round of the Warren County Elementary Basketball Association tournament.

Kayla Bond led the way for the fourth-seeded Lady Wildcats, scoring nine points to help her team advance to a semifinal matchup against No. 1-seeded Centertown Thursday night.

Bond had five points in the first half, as both teams got off to a slow start on the Charlie Dalton Gym hardwood. Irving College held its own against the Lady Bulldogs, pulling ahead 8-7 on a Heather Webb basket late in the half. But Dibrell’s Jessica Adcock converted a three-point play with 38 seconds to play, giving her team a 10-8 lead at intermission.

Offense proved hard to come by for both teams in the third quarter, but Dibrell padded its lead with a 5-0 run to start the second half. Irving College closed the period with a 3-0 run, and trailed 15-11 heading into the contest’s final stanza.

Held to two field goals in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers saw Dibrell pull steadily away in the period. Chelsea Bunn and Adcock scored back-to-back unanswered baskets to open the frame, and Jessie Davis scored in the game’s final minute to put the Lady Wildcats up 24-15 before a pair of Nisa Butzback free throws accounted for Irving College’s final points of the game.

In addition to Bond’s nine points, the Lady Wildcats got seven from Adcock and two each from Shelby Holland, Virginia Prater, Bunn and Davis.

Irving College was led by Micaela Grieves’ six points, with Butzback and Webb adding four each. LaShay Barkes had two and DaRae Wells scored one point.

Dibrell and Centertown are set to play Thursday night at 7:30, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s championship game against either Morrison or Warren County Middle School.