Red Bay girls hit the road
By Staff
Mike Self, Franklin County Times
After losing at home to Tanner in the sub-region round each of the past two years, Red Bay's girls have to hope that a change of venue-and a different opponent-can only be for the better.
The Lady Tigers will be traveling to take on No. 5 Cold Springs (24-5) in Thursday's sub-regional play after falling 62-54 in overtime to Mars Hill on Saturday in the finals of the Class 2A, Area 16 tournament.
Red Bay (20-10) was leading by six points with less than two minutes remaining before Mars Hill (22-10) rallied to tie the game, with a little help from a strange call.
The Lady Tigers were up by one with 19 seconds left when Mars Hill's Sarah Bailey missed the front end of a one-and-one. An official ruled, however, that a Red Bay player had distracted the shooter and awarded Bailey another shot.
She made the first free throw but then missed the second, leaving the game tied 47-47.
Red Bay coach Donnie Roberts said after the game that his player was standing behind the three-point line talking to a teammate, not attempting to distract Bailey.
Nevertheless, the game was tied, at least until Red Bay's Britan Bolding was fouled and made two free throws to give the Lady Tigers a 49-47 lead.
Bailey responded by making a short jumper with five seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
Mars Hill jumped out to a quick six-point lead in the extra period and then held on to beat Red Bay for the third time in four meetings this season. The Lady Panthers will host Addison on Thursday in a sub-region game.
Chelsey McWilliams led Red Bay with 20 points, and Brittany Scott added 11. Bolding had nine points, and Morgan Duncan added eight.
Bailey finished with 21 points to lead Mars Hill. Faith Landers added 17.
The game was tied 23-23 at the half, and Red Bay led 38-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Tigers now turn their attention to Cold Springs, which defeated Addison 55-46 on Saturday to win the Class 2A, Area 10 tournament.
The Lady Eagles are a dangerous outside shooting team. Kayla Woodard made five threes in Saturday's win, and Jessi Harbison added three treys.
Cold Springs advanced all the way to the Class 2A Final Four a year ago. Red Bay is seeking its first trip to the Northwest Regional Tournament in Hanceville since 2003.
