Early run powers Neelyville upset of East Carter

GREENVILLE — The third-seeded Neelyville Lady Tigers dominated early and staved off a big rally to upset No. 2 East Carter 57-43 Monday in the semifinals of the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament.

The crowd was electric for this matchup as both teams came in with a strong winning record and the chance to prove who was the best between the two.

The Lady Tigers struck first with a huge explosion in the first quarter with a 14-0 run, leaving East Carter scoreless and struggling to find a basket.

With a double-digit lead at the start of the second quarter, the Lady Tigers continued to get to the rim, extending the gap further from East Carter.

Neelyville’s sophomore guard Jade Crosswhite, who finished the game with 19 points, added salt to the wound with a quick pull-up jumper to give the Lady Tigers a 24-7 lead heading into the half.

When it seemed like all hope was lost for East Carter, guard Parker Golden and forward Breanna Dohleman combined for 16 points in the third period to get their team back into the game.

Neelyville struggled to contain the game as the momentum quickly shifted to East Carter when the Lady Redbirds went on a 25-10 run, cutting the lead to 34-32 heading to the fourth quarter.

With countless turnovers and miscommunication in the third, the Lady Tigers aimed to clean up their miscues to regain control.

Despite being a low-scoring game, the fourth quarter had everyone on the edges of their seats.

After a few trips back and forth scoring from both teams, Neelyville turned up its defensive pressure to recapture the game and end East Carter’s fairytale comeback.

Neelyville’s Parker Ernst chipped in with 12 points, and Addison Couch added 10.

“We started out really strong,” Neelyville coach Becky Hale said. “We let our guard down, and they made a good run at us, but I’m happy that we were able to hold them back and come out with a victory.”

Hale said she couldn’t be prouder of her team and how they handled adversity against East Carter, adding it was a big week for her team after the time off, but reminding them to stay ready.

East Carter made a big run against the Lady Tigers, which almost cost them, but Hale said the most important thing she hoped her team learned was how to react when the opposing team makes a run.

“I wanted them to understand that sometimes we have ups and downs, but our main goal is to make it through four quarters together. We didn't quite do that tonight, but our good three-quarters pulled us over the hump at the end,” Hale said.

Golden paced the Lady Redbirds with 11 points, while Kearbey and Anna Crowley each had nine.