PAUL LUNSFORD

Staff Writer

Evarts’ Morgan Blakley scored a game-high 12 points Monday as the Lady Cats defeated Wallins 27-15. Rosspoint held off Cawood 17-14 to advance to the championship game tonight against Evarts in the county fifth- and sixth-grade tournament held at James A. Cawood Elementary School.

Blakley had three baskets and Dixie Ewing added three points as Evarts jumped out to a 9-1 advantage after one quarter.

Two baskets by Ewing and a 3-pointer from Ashley Day extended the lead to 18-3 at halftime. The Lady Cats led 20-7 after three quarters.

Whitney Wilson scored five points and Hannah Wood nailed a 3-pointer as Wallins closed the game with an 8-7 run in the final period. Blakley scored six points for the Lady Cats in the quarter.

Ewing had eight points for Evarts (15-1).

“We played complacent tonight,” said Evarts coach Jamie Smith. “Like our girls have done all year long, they do what needs to be done and they take care of business most of the time.”

Wilson paced Wallins (8-8) with eight points.

The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“We’ll have to play our game against Rosspoint,” said Smith. “We’ll push the ball and leave it on our defense.”

Brooklyn Collins scored seven points to lead Rosspoint (12-4) to the win.

The Lady Cats held the lead most of the night.

The game was tied once with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.

Rosspoint’s Madison Blanton scored with four seconds remaining to make it 6-4.

The Lady Cats outscored Cawood 4-2 in the second period and led 10-6 at halftime.

Rosspoint opened the second half with a 6-0 run. Collins had four points during the spurt.

A pair of baskets by Katelyn Johnson and a jumper from Alyssa Adams pulled the Lady Comets within 17-12 after three quarters.

Johnson hit two free throws at the 3:56 mark. Jasmine Grubbs hit one of two free throws with 52 seconds to play as Cawood cut the deficit to 17-15.

Rosspoint’s Abigail Stevens hit one of two free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Neither team had a field goal in the final quarter.

“We really stepped it up and played hard-nose defense and rebounded,” said Rosspoint coach Jamie Sergent. “We didn’t shoot the best, but we hung in there defensively and pulled it out at the end.

“We’ll have to come and play defense against Evarts. We’re not a high-scoring team, but if we can hold a team in the 20s, we’ll have a chance at it.”

Johnson led Cawood (13-3) with 10 points.

The consolation game is set for 5:30 this evening as Cawood plays Wallins.

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Each of the top seeds advanced in the opening round of the tournament on Saturday.

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EVARTS (27) — Morgan Blakley 12, Dixie Ewing 8, Ashley Day 3, Hannah Jones 2, Savanna Smith 2.

WALLINS (15) — Whitney Wilson 10, Peyton Griffin 4, Hannah Wood 3.

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ROSSPOINT (18) — Brooklyn Collins 7, Hannah Hoskins 4, Kaitlyn Cornett 2, Cassie Farley 2, Madison Blanton 2, Abigail Stevens 1.

CAWOOD (15) — Katelyn Johnson 10, Kelsey Peggs 2, Alyssa Adams 2, Jasmine Grubbs 1.

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Evarts (43) — Savanna Smith 11, Morgan Blakley 14, Dixie Ewing 10, Ashley Day 4, Carissa Preston 2, Hannah Jones 2.

Green Hills (14) — Allyson Edwards 6, Kandace Scruggs 3, Kaitlyn Hensley 3, Kandra Patterson 2.

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Wallins (29) — Hannah Wood 3, Whitney WIlson 10, Peyton Griffin 12, Makayla Walters 2, Megan Duncan 2.

James A. Cawood (23) — Brianna Smith 11, Kaitlyn Amburgey 9, Elina Turner 2, Lindsay Perkins 1.

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Cawood (36) — Katelyn Johnson 32, Kelsey Peggs 6.

Black Mountain (19) — Alyssa Cochran 8, Alyssa Cornett 2, Kiersten Hamm 4, Savannah Osborne 1, Kassady Mulkey 2, Emily Osborne 2.

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Rosspoint (27) — Brooklyn Collins 7, Cassie Farley 2, Madison Blanton 3, Hannah Hoskins 5, Kaitlyn Cornett 2, Elizabeth Ball 2, Emily Long 2, Jacey Lewis 2, Jessica Turner 2.

Cumberland (4) — Emily Collett 2, Hannah Johnson 1, Makayla Whitaker 1.