Straughn makes early lead stand in sub-regional win over Dale County

Straughn built a huge lead in the first half and withstood a late push by Dale County for a 49-31 win in a 4A girls’ sub-regional at home on Friday, Feb. 7.

The Lady Tigers improved to 19-5 and punched their ticket to the South Regional, while the Lady Warriors ended the season at 7-19.

“I’m incredibly grateful for our sub-regional victory over Dale County, which has earned us a spot in the South Regional state tournament for the third consecutive year. This team has shown remarkable growth since the start oft the season. I truly appreciate their hard work and commitment, both on and off the court,” SHS Head Coach Calen Lowery said.

The scoring was few and far between in the opening minutes of the first period. Jaslyn Smith got the scoring started with a bucket for Dale County before Annlee Wise tied the score. Presley Bates then hit a three for a 5-2 lead with 5:07 left in the frame. Jakayla Tucker brought Dale County within one before an eight-point swing turned the tide. Wise and Bates banked back-to-back three-pointers as Blakeley Smith also found the hoop. Straughn took a 13-4 lead after one.

Dareion Warren began the scoring with a quick visiting basket in the second period. The home defense tightened up as the Lady Warriors were held scoreless the remainder of the first half. Rylee Sanders had a one-for-two showing at the foul line and started a 14-point swing. Hannah Poston then erupted and scored three baskets while converting two free throws. Smith capped the first half with authority and drilled a three that lifted the Lady Tigers to a 27-6 lead at halftime.

The two sides played nearly even in the third period with a combined 24 points. Bates scored her first bucket of the second half, but Dale County went on a mild 6-0 run to attempt at cutting away the big deficit they faced. J. Smith had eight points as Shambraya Wilkerson posted three. A three-point play from J. Smith made the score 29-12 at the 5:22 mark. Bates answered the bell with five straight including a three drawing the margin back to 34-12. From there, the two teams alternated baskets as Baida Canant got in the scoring column with four points. Mallory Davis added to the home effort with a two-for-two outing at the line. Straughn was not fazed by the brief run and upped its lead to 40-17 after three.

Much like the stretch in the third, the Lady Warriors engineered another chance at cutting into the game. Four different players scored two points each and closed the gap down to 40-25. Canant broke the mild scoreless drought with a free throw as B. Smith and Wise found the hoop on consecutive possessions. Poston added two more from the line and grew the lead back to a manageable 22 points at 47-25. The opposition had one last gasp in them, but the Lady Tigers ultimately prevailed and never let the game get within single digits.

Bates was the top scorer for Straughn with 13 points followed by Poston who had 12. Wise chipped in nine, B. Smith had seven, and Canant tallied five. J. Smith earned a team-high 17 points for Dale County.

The Lady Tigers will take on Orange Beach at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. The Makos (11-20) picked up a 50-38 sub-regional win at Jackson.

“Our girls have earned this recognition, and I’m excited to watch them in action as we prepare for our Sweet 16 matchup against Orange Beach,” Lowery said.