Basketball is a team sport. Hence, it can come to pass that on an odd occasion, multiple players on any team can, at the same time, have an off night. When that happens, it increases the workload of others on the team, thus lessoning their ability to have a good night. It is hard to win when that happens.

The Quitman Lady Bulldogs travelled to Mt. Vernon last Tuesday and came home with a 48-24 thumping at the hands of the Lady Tigers. 

Did several of the Lady Bulldogs have less than their best night? No doubt. It also didn’t help that, according to one source at Mt. Vernon High, this year’s Lady Tigers team is the best since their 2018 state championship team.  

Quitman simply could not generate offense against an aggressive and quick man-to-man defense. The Bulldogs had largely faced zone defenses this year and had yet to face a man-to-man defense as good as the Lady Tigers.

Mt. Vernon parsed out points sparingly. They led by 24 points, 24-3 at the half. Quitman had no answer for the quick hands of the Mt. Vernon backcourt nor the size and anticipation of the Lady Tigers in the paint.

Mt. Vernon exploited the baseline at will, won all but a handful of rebounds and loose balls and were thinking several seconds ahead of Quitman.

As an example of the difficulties presented by the Lady Tigers’ defense, the Lady Bulldogs had possession in the offensive zone for the last 37 seconds of the half but failed to get off a shot. 

After regrouping, Quitman came out with renewed energy after the halftime break, and Kaylin Sapp scored on a nice assist from Ashley Davis to open the third quarter. 

Quitman, however, could not muster enough positive action to turn the game. At the end of three quarters the score stood 36-8.

The action loosened a bit in the final quarter. Quitman put up 16 points and benefitted from a nice stretch of play by Allie Berry – who recorded 9 points and an assist in the final quarter.