Lady Tigers use stout defense to pick up easy win over Florence

The game’s story was the Lady Tigers’ defense, who held the Lady Falcons to six points or less in three of the four quarters.

Hartselle opened the game on a 13-2 run as they got points from Masyn Marchbanks, Lillyanna Cartee and Hailey Holshouser. The teams swapped baskets to close out the first quarter, with the Lady Tigers leading 17-6.

Holshouser hit a three-point to give the Lady Tigers a 21-6 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. Florence scored six of the next eight points to cut the Hartselle lead to 23-12. Karleigh Shipley and Gracie Hill scored the Lady Tigers’ final eight points of the quarter to help extend the lead to 31-19 going to the half.

The Lady Tigers came out of the halftime break and completely dominated the Lady Falcons in the third quarter. Hartselle opened the quarter with a 10-3 run that included three-pointers from Marchbanks and Maggie McCleskey. Following a Florence timeout with 5:23 left in the third, the Lady Tigers reeled off 10 straight points to build their lead to 51-22. The Lady Falcons scored the quarter’s final points to make the score 51-24 going to the fourth quarter.

Marchbanks and Alyssa McMinemon combined for six straight points to open the fourth quarter and push the lead to 57-24. Following a Lady Falcons three-pointer, Shipley and Hill combined for Hartselle’s final seven points to complete the 64-29 rout.

Marchbanks had 21 points, six steals and four rebounds to lead Hartselle (21-2). Cartee added 10 points and six rebounds. Hill and Shipley each finished with nine points.

Halle Koger and McKayla Liner each finished with eight points to lead Florence (6-19).