Andalusia ends Choctaw's season in sub-region
By By Jeff Byrd / sports editor
Feb. 14, 2003
BUTLER, Ala. Down 13, Choctaw County had one big push left in them but the energy used late in the third quarter to pull back within one, eventually caught up with them in the fourth quarter.
That's where Andalusia guards Ashley Johnson and Tanesha Wright carved up a spent Lady Tiger defense. Johnson scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help propel the visiting Lady Bulldogs to a 63-48 victory in the 4A sub-region playoff game.
With the win, Andalusia moves on to face the Livingston-Montevallo winner next week at the Mitchell Center in Mobile. The Lady Bulldogs improve to 18-8 on the season.
Choctaw County, which entered the sub-region as the Area 2-4A champs, was ranked second in Class 4A by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. The loss ends the Lady Tigers' season at 21-5.
Andalusia head coach Marshall Locke was gratified to see his team withstand the pressure of playing on the road in a hostile environment.
It was Dubose who led the charge for Choctaw County who trailed 40-27 with six minutes left in the third quarter. The Lady Tigers scored the last 12 points of the quarter keeping Andalusia scoreless in the process to make it a 40-39 game heading to the fourth.
The drought ended there for Andalusia. Kathy Crittenden hit a 17-foot jumper just seconds into the quarter. Then, Johnson made the first of three baskets in the quarter with a 6-foot pull-up in the lane.
Ashley Horn answered for Choctaw with her final three-pointer of the game to make it 44-42 with 6:18 left. That would be as close as it would get.
Johnson came right back and hit a 15-footer from the baseline. Then Wright made a steal and found Keishawana Wright for the finish of a 2-on-1 break for 48-42 lead with 4:10 remaining.
Johnson would hit another soft shot and that was followed by another steal from Wright which was converted into an easy lay-up by April Kilgore for a 52-42 advantage with 2:50 left. The Lady Bulldogs were home free after that making seven free throws in the remaining time.
They led by as many as 17 before a late basket by Choctaw accounted for the final score.
The Lady Tigers only good lead came at 8-4 midway through the first. It was 11-11 when Johnson hit an 8-footer to put Andalusia ahead to stay with seven seconds left in the first quarter. It was 36-27 at the half.
Johnson ended with 19 points. Keishawana Wright had 14 followed by Tanesha Wright with 11.
Horn led Choctaw County with 15 and Dubose chipped in nine. Fomiciah Kennedy added eight.
