Quitman’s Lady Bulldogs extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 12-7 overall by defeating Cleburne County rival Concord 55-39 on Tuesday evening in Concord.
Only leading 20-19 at halftime, Quitman took control with a 12-2 run to open the third quarter. “I think we came over here and weren’t real focused,” said Coach Louanne Sanders. “At halftime we talked about getting refocused and what we needed to do in the third and fourth quarters to make sure we came out on top.”
Post player Lizzie Bowen played a large role in getting the Lady Bulldogs back on track, scoring a game-high 15 points, which included 10 in the second half. “I thought she played really well tonight and used her height to her advantage,” Sanders said of Bowen. “She used her post moves real well and did a good job of getting turned towards the middle and making her shots. She also did well at the free throw line tonight.”
The Lady Pirates took an early 3-0 lead when Mackenzie Pruitt buried a 3-pointer up top but Quitman responded with five straight as Tori Ivy drilled a 3-pointer from left wing then Caitlin Haley turned a steal into a free throw before Ivy sank one from the line, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 5-3 advantage.
Concord reclaimed the lead when Casey Gorecke followed her own miss for a basket plus contact and she completed the 3-point play but Krystal Lewis gunned down a 3-pointer from right corner and Bowen used an up and under post move for two, giving Quitman a 10-6 lead.
Kelcie Pagel and Bowen traded free throws in the final minute of the first period, leaving Quitman with an 11-7 lead going into the second quarter.
Gorecke hit a turnaround jumper from right baseline and Jenny Lawrence got a stick back as the Lady Pirates quickly knotted the game at 11-up in the second but Haley countered with a follow shot for Quitman.
Lawrence tied it back up with a stick back in transition before Haley scored from right block off an assist from Ivy and Jenny Peterson made a shot inside off an inbounds play, giving Quitman a 17-13 lead.
Quitman extended its lead to 20-13 when Krystal Lewis made a free throw and Bowen made a short jumper off an inbounds play but Concord closed the first half with a 6-0 spurt, ignited by Molly Thomas’ 3-pointer from right corner off an assist from Gorecke.
Gorecke added a steal and layup then Thomas turned a steal by Pruitt into a free throw, leaving the Lady Pirates with a 20-19 deficit at halftime.
Quitman began the third quarter with a game changing 12-2 run beginning with a turnaround bank from Bowen. After Gorecke snared a loose ball and scored, Krystal Lewis answered in transition then her twin sister Rachel Lewis popped a 3-pointer from top of the key, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 27-21 lead.
Quitman’s run continued as Bowen scored in the paint then Peterson, Krystal Lewis and Samantha Burklow each made a free throw before Concord broke its drought when Pruitt scored on a fast break off an assist from Morgan Benton.
Benton recorded a putback in transition as the Lady Pirates pulled within seven then Ivy and Benton traded a pair of free throws before Ivy drilled a 3-pointer from left wing and Britney Gifford converted a steal by Taylor Bennett into two free throws. Benton responded with a free throw, leaving Quitman with a 38-28 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Quitman pushed its lead to 20 early in the final period as Peterson got a stick back and Bowen made a turnaround bank, plus the foul and she completed the 3-point play before Thomas made a free throw for Concord.
Krystal Lewis fired back with a short jump shot and Bowen made a leaner, plus she drew contact. Bowen completed her second 3-point play of the quarter as Quitman’s lead blossomed to 49-29 before Gorecke and Krystal Lewis traded free throws.
With the Lady Bulldogs still ahead by 20, Gorecke made 3-of-4 from the stripe but Burklow sank a free throw for Quitman and Ivy added two more before Concord’s Shianna Maples buried a 3-pointer from right elbow and banked another trey from left wing. Sabrina Shue got a putback for Quitman in the final seconds, setting the final at 55-39.
Gorecke paced Concord with 13 points and Maples added six. After Bowen’s game-high 15 points for Quitman, Krystal Lewis added 12 and Ivy totaled 11.
Weather permitting, Quitman is scheduled to visit Nemo Vista tonight and Concord was scheduled to play Timbo on Thursday night.