Neelyville is back: Lady Tigers capture district crown, first since 2020

BLOOMFIELD — Emotions were high as ovrercoming adversity played a significant role in the Class 2 District 1 girls basketball championship game at Bloomfield High School Saturday.

The top-seeded Neelyville Lady Tigers got off to a rocky start, but a fourth-quarter surge helped them pull away from No. 3 Campbell to capture a 51-43 win and the district championship, the program’s first since 2020.

“We are very proud to be district champs,” said Neelyville coach Becky Hale. “At this point of the season, it’s all about surviving and advancing, and that’s what we did. We get to play another game.”

What some expected to be an easy win for the Lady Tigers turned into an epic battle for the district title.

The Lady Tigers are accustomed to starting with a quick run to take control of the game, but with early foul trouble, they had to rely solely on defense to get the job done. Campbell came out hot, and shots seemed to fall in the Lady Camels’ favor until the Lady Tigers switched to a full-court press to stop the run.

After a few back-and-forth scoring from both sides, Campbell kept the score 28-28 heading into halftime.

Within the second half, both teams struggled to land many shots but continued to play with the same high energy. In order for one team to escape with a win, knocking down shots at the foul line needed to take priority.

Despite the bad shooting night, Neelyville was ahead 37-36 to close out the third.

During the last quarter, momentum quickly picked up for the Lady Tigers as their toughness on defense sparked a run for them offensively. Though Campbell remained in close proximity within the final minutes, the Lady Tigers continued to thrive under the basket and knock down shots from the free-throw line to put the game away.

Freshman center Parker Ernst guided the Lady Tigers with 11 points, while senior guard Ella Eaker added nine.

It was unusual for Neelyville to start flat, but the Lady Tigers’ will to fight through adversity came through in the end — and Hale said it was the test they needed.

“We just could never find a solid flow,” Hale said. “We definitely didn’t play how we wanted to. We had people in foul trouble early and late in the game, but overall I’m proud of them and how they overcame the adversity.”

The Lady Tigers are set to play East Carter (21-6) in a Class 2 sectional at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Sikeston High School. The two teams split a pair of contests in the regular season.

Hale said her team is going to need to play its best game for this matchup.

“This team is going to be tough. We have to play better defense than we have all season, and we must take care of the ball,” Hale said. “Hopefully, we can pull a win out of it.”