Lady Tigers hold off Lady Bobcats

J.R. Tidwell/FCT Hope Cook (3) of Phil Campbell drives towards the lane while defended by Lexy Lindsey (33) of Red Bay in a game played at Northwest Shoals Community College earlier this season.

Bart Moss

For the Franklin County Times

RED BAY — The fourth-ranked Red Bay Tigers (25-4) found their season on the line against a pesky Phil Campbell defense in the first round of 2A, Area 12 play on Thursday night.

With less than three minutes to play and the game tied at 30 seniors Hannah Sharp and Lauren Pacetti took control and led the Tigers on an 11-0 run to close the game and defeat the Bobcats 41-30.

Sharp led all scorers with 16 points with eight of those points coming in the last three minutes of the game.

Pacetti scored four of her eight points in the last three minutes as well.

Two seniors led Phil Campbell’s effort as well.  Ciara Harville was the only Bobcat in double figures with 10 points.

Senior point-guard Whitley Yocom scored 7.

Phil Campbell led at the end of the first quarter when Yocom hit a shot as time expired to give the Bobcats a 9-8 lead.

Sharp and Pacetti hit back-to-back baskets midway through the second quarter to give Red Bay a 15-11 lead.

With the Tigers leading by six points late in the second quarter Yocom dribbled the length of the court and hit a short jump shot to cut Red Bay’s lead to 24-20 at the end of the first half.

Ciara Harville gave Phil Campbell the lead midway through the third quarter 25-24 but it was short lived as Lexy Lindsey drained a three-pointer to give the Tigers 28-25 lead.

The Tigers led 28-26 at the end of the third quarter.

Phil Campbell was able to tie the game at 30 with 4:00 to play in the game but after that it was all Red Bay.

Other scorers for Red Bay were Kasey Sparks (9), Jade Ezzell (5), and Lexy Lindsey (3).

Other scorers for Phil Campbell were Madison Hardy (6), Taylor Pace (4), and Autumn Thomas (3).

Red Bay will play in the finals tonight at 7 p.m. in Red Bay.