A-G Lady Panthers grab district lead

Posted 1/21/21

The Alba-Golden Lady Panthers took a huge stride forward in their race for a district championship by defeating the visiting Lady Bulldogs of Cooper 56-44 Friday.

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A-G Lady Panthers grab district lead

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The Alba-Golden Lady Panthers took a huge stride forward in their race for a district championship by defeating the visiting Lady Bulldogs of Cooper 56-44 Friday.

The Lady Panthers were locked-in as they outplayed their opponents in the opening quarter and built a 16-6 lead. In that stretch, the Lady Panther backcourt duo of Bella Crawford and Cacie Lennon seemed to be of the same mind at every turn. They negotiated pressure and broke away down the floor three times for scores. 

Excellent offensive decisions by the whole squad, whether that decision was to step up and take the jump shot or make a laser-like pass to the low post, highlighted the action. Autumn Whitten contributed five points in the early surge, and Kalli Wright went outside to face the basket and hit a jumper and a 3-pointer.

Alba-Golden secured the early rebounding advantage as well and was one step ahead of Cooper. 

Cooper came south to play, and they fought back relentlessly. Despite two beautiful assists – each resulting in Hannah Wright scores, one from Crawford and the other from Jesse Mitchell -- Cooper came back in the second quarter. They took the lead, 24-23 with one minute to play in the half.

Mitchell tossed in a free throw and Crawford gave the Lady Panthers a two point edge, 26-24, with a lay-in just before the half.

The capacity crowd at the Alba-Golden gym caught their breath. It had been a fast, physical half of basketball, and the referees were running to keep it under control. 

The tight and punishing nature of the game returned. Cooper appeared to have seized momentum in the closing moments of the third quarter when Alba-Golden turned the ball over twice in the backcourt.  Hannah Wright – who had 14 points on the night – put-back an offensive rebound to tie the score at 34. Cooper hit a 3-pointer to take a three-point lead into the final quarter.

In the first six minutes of the final quarter, the Lady Panthers outscored the visitors 11-0. The play was practically all in the Alba-Golden zone, as incessant fouls by Cooper kept the Lady Panthers at the foul stripe.

The trend became too much for the Cooper head coach who was whistled for a technical foul in protest. 

The win was far from a gift. In the final quarter, Alba-Golden reestablished its dominance on the boards, and they made good use of inbound plays. Even after two late turnovers which threatened the lead, the Lady Panthers never wavered. Their composure was resolute. It was a reassuring to see and a great feature of the win.            

There is something special about this team. They are communicating without words and playing aware, exacting basketball. The season is a long one, with six district games remaining, but this group of young ladies is building a season to remember. 

The win left Alba-Golden alone atop the district at 4-0, a game ahead of Cooper and Cumby, who faced each other Tuesday.