PRICEVILLE – Hartselle put together its best offensive performance of the season to shock Class 4A, No. 8 Priceville 64-62 Monday night.
But the key to the Lady Tigers’ win was a pressure defense that forced plenty of Priceville turnovers in the second half.
“The heart and soul of Hartselle basketball is defense and the defense came through and made some big stops for us,” said Hartselle head coach Gary Orr. “I was glad for these girls to get this win. Our girls have really kept their spirits up and they have really worked hard to win.”
Hartselle improved to 4-11 overall with the victory over their county rivals.
The Lady Tigers took control of the game in the second quarter when they went on a 27-15 run.
“We had a good run in the second quarter,” Orr said. “That’s what we’re working for, some consistency.”
Priceville dropped to 14-7 overall with the loss.
“We didn’t give up. We kept fighting,” said Priceville head coach Catrina Mason. “We just didn’t play good defense. Hopefully we will learn from this.”
After trailing by as many as 10 points during the game, Priceville closed the gap and managed to tie the game at 60-60 when Presley Darling hit an inside jumper with 2:42 remaining in the game.
Darling finished with a game-high 20 points in the loss. Molly Thompson added 17 points and Morgan Ponder finished with 13 points.
Katelynn Hill led Hartselle with 14 points, while Quanesha Burks added 12 points. Kanesia Elliott finished with 11 points, while Sarah Horner chipped in 10 points.
Melissa Paul Hill scored six of her eight points in the third quarter.
Hartselle 55, Priceville 52
Hartselle overcame a slow start Monday night to pick up a 55-52 victory over Priceville.
The Tigers scored just nine points in the opening quarter before taking a 22-18 lead at the half.
Priceville closed to within three points on several occasions in the fourth quarter but never managed to get the lead.
Hartselle’s Aaron Wooley led all scorers with 17 points after hitting four 3-pointers in the win.
Terry Wiggins finished with 15 points, while Isaiah Fowler and Matt Johnston added six points each.
Priceville’s Matt Teague led the Bulldogs with 17 points. Wesley Baker added 12 points. Kalieb Gibson and John Hawkins had six points each in the loss.
Hartselle struggled at the free throw line, hitting just six of 17 attempts. Over the final eight minutes of play, Hartselle made just five of 13 free throw attempts.