Lady Tigers advance to area round

By BRUCE E. WILLIAMS

Sports Correspondent

Clarksville Lady Tigers first year Head Coach LaTisha Hearne received her first playoff win on Tuesday night as the Lady Tigers earned a bi-district basketball championship with a 49-37 win over the Beckville Ladycats in a game played at Queen City High School.

The win lifts the Lady Tigers season record to 19-13, while Beckville, the fourth seed from District 16-2-A,  ends the year with a 15-15 mark. Beckville was 7-5 in district play.

Clarksville, the champion of District 15-2-A with a perfect 12-0 record, never trailed in the game after senior Dee Jackson nailed a jumper after almost three minutes of game action. Clarksville held Beckville without a field goal in the initial period, and led 15-3 when the teams moved in to the second quarter.

The Lady Tigers would move to a 21-3 advantage with 6:33 left in the opening half, when Madison Gill canned the first two buckets in period two, and Makaiya Owens contributed a basket off the break, after recording a blocked shot. With 3:06 left in the period, Ashley Rosser drained a three pointer as the Clarksville lead moved to 30-8, before the Lady Tigers ended the first half with a 32-15 lead.

LaQuisha Clark, a senior, joined Madison Gill, a junior, in sparking the Lady Tigers win offensively, as Clark scored a game high 14 points, and Gill contributed 11 points.

Owens had several key block shots in the game that also helped pave the way to the win, and Makiyla Bradley contributed with baskets off the break, and defensive pressure.

The contest appeared to be out of reach in the third period when Clarksville built a 39-17 advantage with 4:29 remaining, when Clark capped a 7-2 run with a free throw. However, the Lady Tigers would not be heard from again during the quarter, as Hearne's team entered the final period leading 39-25.

The Clarksville lead dropped to 41-30 with 6:48 left in the contest, but Tyteanna Rosser stepped up to deliver a three point bomb with 6:21 left giving the Lady Tigers a 44-30 advantage. Beckville managed to again cut into the deficit, closing to within 44-35 with 4:09 left. Clark delivered a pair of beautiful drives into the lane for buckets, and Owens produced a key block down the stretch as The Lady Tigers charged to victory.

The Lady Tigers will face Honey Grove in the area round of post season play later this week.