Priceville falls prey to Deshler press

By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
HANCEVILLE - Deshler’s girls’ basketball program has seen Tom Drake Coliseum as a home-away-from-home.
The Lady Tigers beat Priceville 76-43 in the Class 4A Northwest Regional semifinals at Wallace State Community College Thursday and added a win over Ardmore to claim the program’s 10th straight regional championship.
Deshler used a 20-1 run in the first half to open a lead as high as 17 points.
The Lady Tigers kept up the pressure in the second half and pushed the final margin to 36 points, its biggest lead of the game.
Priceville finished the season with an 18-13 record in a year filled with depth troubles caused by graduation and injuries.
Morgan Ponder scored a team-high 10 points in the loss.
The Lady Bulldogs shot just 27 percent from the field while trying to compete with Deshler’s smothering full-court pressure.
Jordan Crow added eight points and eight rebounds for Priceville.
Deshler’s Ashley Southern led all scorers with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Jothani Dixon added 14 points. Raj’Ene Swopes finished with 12 points for the Lady Tigers, who also ended Priceville’s season a year ago.