Bobcats beat Winfield, claw way into regionals
WINFIELD – The Phil Campbell Bobcats are headed to the Northwest Regional Tournament at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville after a hardfought 52-42 victory over the Winfield Pirates in the subregion game.
The Bobcats will face Holly Pond at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. It will be Phil Campbell’s first trip to the regionals in three years.
Phil Campbell jumped out to an early 12-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, seemingly in control. However, the Pirates chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 11-5. Phil Campbell’s momentum was disrupted when Leela Baker picked up her third foul, forcing her to the bench for an extended period. The halftime score saw the Bobcats clinging to a slim 17-15 advantage.
The Bobcats came out of the halftime locker room firing on all cylinders. They dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Pirates 20-12 to extend their lead to 37-27. Winfield struggled to open the second half, missing a wide-open layup and committing two quick turnovers. A three-pointer by Kaylie Motes and a basket by Leela Baker fueled the Bobcats run, pushing their lead to 22-15 early in the third.
Phil Campbell maintained its composure in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as 13 points. While Winfield fought to close the gap, the Bobcats held on for the crucial win.
Leela Baker led the Bobcats in scoring with 15 points, followed by Macy Hardy with 14. Layla Baker contributed 10 points, while Sidda Rogers added 8. Kaylie Motes finished with 3 points, and Mia Ambrosio chipped in with 2.
Area Tournament
The Bobcats had no answer for Mars Hill’s freshman phenom Belle Hill in a 60-31 area tournament loss last week. The Bobcats finished runner-up in Class 3A Area 15.
Hill scored 25 hardearned points against a Bobcats defense that was almost exclusively focused on stopping the future SEC hoopster.
Mars Hill led Phil Campbell 15-4 at the end of the first quarter and 30-17 at halftime. The Panthers extended their lead to 39-20 at the end of the third quarter and cruised to the win.
Leela Baker led the Bobcats with 16 points. She was followed by Sidda Rogers with 6 points, Macy Hardy with 4 points, Mia Ambrosio with 3 points, and Georgia Motes with 2 points.
