Fouls cost Leake girls

By By Marty Stamper / EMG Sports Assistant
Feb. 25, 2003
Foul woes plagued the Rebelettes throughout the contest with Copiah Academy at the Overall Tournament in Clinton on Monday. Leake was whistled for 35 fouls with four players fouling out, including top scorers Kristin Caldwell and Greggina Tadlock.
Caldwell exited with 1:03 left in the third quarter after picking up two fouls in a 19-second span.
Tadlock, who picked up four fouls in the first half, fouled out with 7:03 remaining.
Leake led by as much as 18-13 in the second quarter before the Lady Colonels went on an 8-0 run.
The Rebelettes got six straight points from Sarah James to take a 24-23 lead into halftime.
Copiah (25-17) took the lead at 30-28 on a three-pointer from Marcy McDonald and never trailed again.
The Lady Colonels stretched out to a 45-35 advantage with 1:22 left in the third period, before Leake began to battle back.
Jessica Dickens hit a trey and a deuce to pull the Rebelettes to within 48-45 with just over seven minutes left.
A 7-0 run, with all seven points coming at the free-throw line, put Copiah up 59-49 with 3:19 showing. Leake could get no closer than six points after that.
Copiah was 12-of-24 at the free-throw line over the final five minutes and 26-of-50 for the game. Carley Clayton got all 13 of her points at the charity stripe on 13-of-22 shooting.
Caldwell led Leake (39-4) with 18 points, Dickens had 15, all of which came in the second half, Lacie Culpepper had nine, and James added eight.
Copiah got 16 points from McDonald, 15 from Jackie Stowe, 13 from Clayton, and 10 from Lacey Williams.
The loss sends Wolverton into the 2003-04 season needing 16 wins to become Mississippi's all-time winningest girls' basketball coach.