Fayette County holds off Belgreen

By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
FAYETTE - The Belgreen Lady Bulldogs got the shot they wanted at the end of Wednesday's game against Fayette County.
It just didn't go in.
Amanda Hester's short jumper from just inside the right elbow bounced off the front of the rim with two seconds remaining, and Fayette County held on for a 38-37 victory over the Lady Bulldogs in the championship game of the Fayette Lions Club Tournament.
Belgreen (7-3) trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter before using pressure defense and clutch shooting by Mary Billingham to mount a comeback.
After Hester made 1-of-2 free throws to pull Belgreen within a point with 1:02 remaining, Casey Guinn rebounded the miss on the second attempt and the Lady Bulldogs called timeout to set up their final play.
"We wanted to hold for the last shot, but we may have held a little too long," Belgreen coach Shauna Holcomb said. "We got the shot we wanted, though. We wanted to try and get the ball inside and get an easier look. We didn't want to take anything from outside unless we absolutely had to."
After the Lady Bulldogs worked the ball around the perimeter for nearly a full minute, Guinn drove the right baseline and dished to Hester in the high post. The senior center quickly shot over two defenders, coming up just short.
Fayette County's Tish Wilson grabbed the rebound to seal the win.
With little more than a quarter remaining and Fayette County nursing a double-digit lead, the game did not appear destined for a nail-biting finish.
Belgreen had struggled all night to knock down perimeter shots against Fayette County's zone defense, and the Lady Tigers were dominating the boards on both ends.
The Lady Bulldogs turned up the heat with their full-court press in the fourth quarter, forcing several turnovers.
"We knew they would be quicker than us, especially with No. 24 [Jenni Thomley], so we didn't really plan on pressing unless we had to," Holcomb said. "I felt like that was the only way to get us into gear.
"We just had to start being more aggressive and get on the boards a little bit. Rebounding is what turned this game around."
Belgreen began limiting Fayette County to one shot, and the Lady Tigers managed just four points in the fourth quarter.
Billingham drained the first of two key three-pointers midway through the final quarter to bring Belgreen within five at 36-31.
A pair of free throws by Hester made it a three-point game, but a basket by Destiny Vice pushed the lead back to five with 3:00 to play. Fayette County did not score again.
Billingham nailed another three with 2:40 remaining to cut the lead to 38-36, setting up the late drama.
Belgreen opened the game hot from the outside, getting a three and a long jumper from Kala Dill and a short jumper from Billingham to grab a 7-6 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs then went ice cold from the field as Fayette County closed the first quarter on a 12-0 run.
Belgreen continued to struggle in the second quarter, but a pair of baskets by Mary Stutts helped keep them within striking distance.
Lauren Fulmer's layup with 12 seconds left gave the Lady Tigers a 25-13 halftime lead.
"The first half killed us," Holcomb said. "I think we were something like 5-for-17 from the field, and we only had two offensive rebounds. If we hadn't played so poorly in the first half, we wouldn't have needed such a big comeback in the second half.
"We just didn't play to our potential in the first half. I knew our girls could be more aggressive. It was just a matter of whether or not they would."
After a free throw by Fayette County to open the second half, Guinn nailed a trey and a pull-up jumper to spark a 7-2 spurt by Belgreen that cut the lead to 28-20.
Moments later, Samantha Blackburn knocked down back-to-back jumpers to extend Fayette County's lead back to 12 at 34-22.
Dill hit a three-pointer to pull Belgreen within nine and set the stage for the fourth-quarter rally.
"Our girls wanted to win. They just fell a little short," Holcomb said. "We still enjoyed coming over here for the tournament. We got to play some different teams, and that always helps you improve."
Billingham finished with 10 points to lead Belgreen's balanced scoring attack. Hester and Dill each added eight, and Guinn had seven. Stutts finished with four points.
Blackburn led Fayette County with 10 points. Wilson added eight, and Thomley and Fulmer each chipped in with seven.
Wilson and Thomley were named co-MVPs of the tournament. Hester and Guinn joined them on the all-tournament team.
In previous action at the Fayette Lions Club Tournament:
Belgreen 51 Phillips 41
Casey Guinn had 18 points as Belgreen advanced to the championship game with Tuesday's win.
Amanda Hester added 10 points for the Lady Bulldogs. Mary Billingham had eight, and Kala Dill added seven.
Candace Allen scored four points, and Holly Nichols and Mary Stutts each had two.