photo by Dusty Harper

Edward Bell junior Caneshia Smith dribbles by a Wadley defender in Thursday’s blowout win by the Lady Bears

Lady Bears breeze into title game

HBHS wins, BRHS, Coosa lose

By Dusty Harper (Contact) | Alex City Outlook

Published Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Edward Bell Lady Bears ambushed Wadley in Thursday’s Class 1A, Area 7 semifinal in Camp Hill and coasted to a 47-29 victory.

EBHS scored the game’s first 10 points and held the Lady Bulldogs to just two first-half buckets in clinching a spot in the sub-regionals next week.

“I told the girls this is the start of a new season, anything can happen and we need to do what we do,” Lady Bear head coach Nancy Shealey said. “It’s important to set the tone in the playoffs and we did that.”

Kierra Billingsley, who led all scorers with 18 points, started quickly out of the gate, making a lay-up and 3-pointer in the first 30 seconds. Natalie Copeland, who closed with 12 points for the Lady Bears, sank back-to-back shots soon after, and it was 9-0 less than two minutes into the game.

Wadley did not get on the scoreboard until the 3:18 mark in the first quarter. After taking a 16-4 lead into the second quarter, the Lady Bears held the visitors scoreless for the next eight minutes and went into the locker room up 32-4.

Lyndsey Padgett led Wadley with 13 points.

Now, EBHS (12-9) prepares for nemesis Loachapoka, which edged Notasulga 57-54 in the first semifinal Thursday. The Lady Indians defeated EBHS 56-49 at home this season, but lost to the Lady Bears 54-52 in the next meeting at Camp Hill.

Shealey said her club will have to play tougher defense to win this rematch of last year’s area title final, which went to Loachapoka.

LHS had to sweat out a win in the first game Thursday. Notasulga’s Rachel Foster scored with nine seconds left to cut her team’s deficit to one. The Lady Indians were whistled for a violation on the ensuing inbounds pass, allowing the Lady Blue Devils a chance to take the lead.

After a missed shot by NHS, the Lady Indians committed a foul away from the ball, giving NHS one more chance with four seconds to go. But, the Lady Blue Devils threw the ball away and Chantal Hall made two free throws to make the final margin three points.

Hall paced LHS with 25 points. Geornequa Yancey and Candica Okor scored 11 and 10, respectively, for the Lady Indians.

NHS led 12-8 and 26-22 after the first two quarter breaks, but trailed by four entering the fourth.

Monday’s championship game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

HBHS moves on with win over Clay County

After a slow start, the Horseshoe Bend Lady Generals asserted their dominance in the third quarter on Thursday to advance to the Class 2A, Area 8 title game.

HBHS outscored Clay County 15-5 to start the second half to defeat the Lady Panthers 45-25 in the first semifinal game in Lanett.

HBHS (25-5) will meet Lanett Monday at 4 p.m. LHS beat Lineville 65-34 to advance.

“We played good man-to-man defense in the first half when we missed a ton of easy shots,” head coach Mike Boyd said. “We kept it up in the second half on defense and started making shots, so we pulled away.”

Rachel Smothers dropped 18 points in HBHS’ fourth win of the season against Clay County.

Brittney Keel scored 10 points, Jessica Williams had seven and Katie Martin scored five for the Lady Generals.

Lanett defeated HBHS twice in the regular season, once by 12 points and once by 29.

BRHS, Coosa lose

Stanhope Elmore defeated Benjamin Russell 40-36 in Auburn on Thursday to end the Lady Wildcats’ season. BRHS finishes at 9-10. SEHS will take on Auburn, who beat Wetumpka, on Saturday.

Central-Coosa’s season also came to a close, as the Lady Cougars lost to host Munford in the Class 4A, Area 6 Tournament.

The Lady Lions won 37-25 and will face Handley on Saturday.

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