C2D2 GBK: Lady Tigers advance at the buzzer

VAN BUREN — The top four seeds in the Class 2 District 2 Tournament returned to Van Buren High School to compete for a spot in the championship game.

The Neelyville Tigers faced off against the No. 3 team in Class 2, the Thayer Lady Bobcats, while the No.8 team, the Alton Lady Comets, went head-to-head with the No. 4 team, the East Carter Lady Redbirds. With three Class 2 ranked teams in the mixup, one could expect some highly competitive basketball.

While the Neelyville and Thayer battled to the final second, a buzzer beat three in overtime from Jade Crosswhite aided the Lady Tigers to a 68-65 win to return to the district championship game.

Lady Tigers head coach Becky Hale said though they moved over to a tougher division, she knew they could play with some of the best to advance further in the tournament.

“This game was wild,” Hale said. “I’m proud of this team. This is probably the best win that our program has gotten in recent years. We had one of our best practices yesterday, and I couldn’t be prouder of how we played. From the players to the bench, everyone came together and did their part for us to get this win. I’m not too concerned about who we play in the finals. I just know we will be ready.”

The Lady Tigers are 7-3 when taking on Thayer but recently have lost the last two postseason matchups. The Lady Tigers would need to showcase their presence inside the paint and limit turnovers to get back on the winning side.

The matchup kicked off with a steady pace as each possession mattered. Both teams came out with the same defensive scheme by relying on the zone, forcing one another to win from the three-point line. Thayer jumped out front first with a steal and basket from Joslyn Tucker, starting a run that would carry over for most of the game.

After a slow offensive start, the Lady Tigers picked up the pace in the second by pushing the ball on the fastbreak and turning forced turnovers into points. The Lady Tigers showed a lot of patience with their shot selections as they capitalized on many buckets inside the post. Despite the quick run, Thayer stayed calm and closed out the first half by connecting with back-to-back threes to close out the half with a 28-19 lead.

The Lady Tigers stepped back onto the floor with more pressure on the defense, looking for any opening to make a run. Luckily, their halftime adjustment worked in their favor as they began to scorch the nets, trimming the lead within five midway through the third. Though trailing for most of the game, the Lady Tigers would not go away with their nonstop intensity on both ends of the court.

Thayer held a 42-39 in the final four minutes of the contest and the game would come down to which team wanted the win the most. The Lady Tigers got their first lead with an up-and-under move under the basket from Ernst. The matchup was so intense that it required another quarter.

The game went down to the wire in overtime, and whoever had the ball in the final moments would secure a spot in the finals. That team would be the Neelyville Lady Tigers.

Layni Dobbins led the Lady Tigers with 20 points and four rebounds, Ernst had 19 points and seven rebounds and Addison Couch did a little of everything with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists.