Hartselle scorched by Dragons

By Staff
Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
HANCEVILLE - Hartselle head coach Greg Adams lost plenty of sleep after watching game film of the Lady Tigers’ semifinal opponent in the Class 5A Northwest Regional.
Facing Wenonah proved to be a nightmare for the coach as the Lady Dragons took advantage of their front line size to beat Hartselle 54-38 Wednesday.
Hartselle, who beat Wenonah last season on the way to a Final Four berth, finished the year with a 19-13 record.
Wenonah’s 6-foot-2 center Karneisha Garrett scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Lady Dragons. Terrenisha Hollis added 14 points and six rebounds.
Alex Holmes led Hartselle with 16 points after hitting six of her 15 shots from the field. Jessi Smith, a University of North Alabama signee, concluded her Lady Tigers’ career with 15 points.
Wenonah’s win avenged a season-ending loss to the Lady Tigers last year on the same court, something that the Wenonah coaching staff had stressed during practice all week long after the sub-regionals.
Hartselle scored just 15 points in the first half, but the Lady Tigers trailed just 18-15 at the break.
But Wenonah used a 22-7 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
Hartselle let Wenonah extend its lead from three points to 18 in the third quarter when the Lady Tigers struggled from the field. Hartselle shot just 27 percent from the field in the second half.
The Lady Tigers struggled from the field, hitting just 14 of 48 shots against the Lady Dragons.
Hartselle also was out-rebounded 37-24 by the Lady Dragons, who dominated the inside with four players 5-foot-10 or taller.
The Lady Tigers’ loss was the final game for five Hartselle seniors – Anna Reeves, Lauren Dye, Smith, Kaitlin Faulkner and Heather Speegle – a core group that reached the Northwest Regional tournament for four straight years.