Brewer sophomore McCarley Northway drives in for a shot. | Caleb Suggs

Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

The Brewer Lady Patriots suffered just their second loss of the season in the opening round of the DOC tournament at Decatur high school and it was a tough one to swallow. The Patriots seemingly had the game won vs. Spain Park, only to see them nail three straight free throws to send the game to overtime. Brewer then lost in double overtime 89-84. However, the tournament still went on and the Patriots focused on not dropping a second straight loss to the Austin Black Bears.

Brewer took the lead early at 7-4 following five points and a steal from Jacie Andrews. Brewer took the lead again later at 10-7 following a three point play from Victoria Roberts, but Austin’s Ki’Aja Elliot tied it with a three point basket. Bri Hodges gave the Black Bears the lead at the end of the first quarter at 16-15.

Austin started the second quarter on a 7-2 run that started with a three-point basket from Eria Mayes. However, Brewer fought back and Henslee Brindlee hit the two free throws that tied the game. McCarley Northway later hit two free throws of her own that tied the game at 27-27 at halftime.

Austin started the second half with four straight points from Hodges, but it was Brewer that took control by the end of the third. Katelyn Childs notched five straight points and Madisen Adams added a basket to give the Patriots a 46-40 cushion going into the fourth quarter.

Childs kept her hot streak going at the beginning of the fourth by hitting back to back three pointers to make it 52-44. However, the Patriots then began to experience a meltdown. Turnovers allowed Austin to trim the lead to 54-53 with a three-pointer from Mayes. Austin later tied it 56-56 with another three pointer but that would be the closest the Black Bears came. Brewer’s Shyan Flack took over from there and finished the game with seven points in the closing minutes as Brewer took the win 64-59.