Quitman’s Junior Lady Bulldogs jumped out to an 18-14 lead at halftime and held off Nemo Vista for a 33-30 victory Thursday evening in Quitman.
Nemo took an early lead when Rebecca Wahrmund made a free throw but Alex Bohannan responded with a driving layup before Lauren Anderson buried a 19-foot jumper from right corner.
Bohannan found Shayna Burklow in transition for a bucket as Quitman reclaimed the lead but Alexis Bryant fired back with a 19-foot jump shot from right wing before Roseanna Ezell scored from right block off an assist from Burklow, giving the Jr. Lady Bulldogs a 6-5 advantage.
After Bohannan made a free throw, she hit a short jumper from inside right elbow but Abby Edwards answered with a bank shot at the buzzer, leaving Quitman with a 9-7 lead entering the second quarter.
Bohannan snatched a steal under the goal and scored to give Quitman a small cushion in the second quarter but Kissidy Thompson made a short bank shot for Nemo. Ezell made a quick spin from right block for two off an assist from Bohannan but Nemo refused to go away as Edwards popped a 3-pointer from right wing.
Quitman pushed its lead to six as Maddie Holland scored from right block off an assist from Bohannan and Katelyn Houston bombed a 3-pointer from right wing but Mary Young made two free throws in the final 15 seconds, pulling the Jr. Lady Hawks within four at 18-14 at halftime.
Anderson drilled a 15-foot jumper from left baseline early in the third quarter but Quitman responded with four straight as Burklow chalked up two from the line and Holland hit a short turnaround from left block off an assist from Ezell.
With the Jr. Lady Bulldogs leading 22-17, Edwards sank a free throw and then she buried a jump shot from right elbow but Burklow retaliated with a huge basket off an inbounds play, plus the contact. Burklow completed the 3-point play, giving Quitman a 25-19 lead going into the final six minutes of play.
Edwards and Wahrmund each made a free throw to open the fourth but Quitman responded with five straight, starting with an offensive rebound turned free throw from Bohannan.
Ezell added a short hook shot then Victoria Rodgers swiped a steal and scored but Nemo hung tough as Edwards gunned down a 3-pointer from top of the key. Following a Quitman timeout with 2:06 left to play, Bryant made a strong drive down the right side of lane for a layup as the Jr. Lady Hawks pulled within four before Bohannan dropped one from the charity stripe.
Edwards made two free throws to pull Nemo within three but Bohannan responded with a free throw before Anderson made a jumper from right elbow with time winding under one minute to play.
With 15 seconds remaining, Bohannan pushed Quitman’s lead to three with a free throw and the Jr. Lady Bulldogs played stout defense while Ezell secured the defensive rebound for a 33-30 victory.
Edwards scored a game-high 14 points for Nemo Vista while Anderson followed with six. Bohannan paced Quitman with 11 points, Burklow added seven and Ezell finished with six.
