The Alba-Golden Lady Panthers fell to the Lindsay Lady Knights, 51-32, in area round playoff action at Wolfe City Friday.

Lindsay used a stingy man-to-man defense and their height advantage at each position to dominate the last 10 minutes of the game. The Lady Panthers had fought back to make the score 28-27, Lindsay, with two minutes left in the third quarter. In the closing minutes, Lindsay outscored Alba-Golden 23-5. 

The Lady Panthers had certainly come out punching. Lindsay struggled against the Alba-Golden full court pressure, and the Lady Panthers forced a string of turnovers to start the game. They also dominated the rebounding in the first half, as Alba-Golden used excellent positioning inside.

The balance of those turnovers and rebounds, however, did not produce points. The Lady Panthers struggled to hit short jumpers and were foiled on a number of breakaway drives. The Lady Panthers found it tough shooting against a taller side and often adjusted their normal shooting to get off a shot. 

Had Alba-Golden been able to turn those early opportunities into points, the game would have fundamentally changed. 

As it unfolded, the first quarter action ended with the score tied at nine. Two quick scores by Alba-Golden – a Payzlee Fitzgerald 3-pointer and a strong inside score by Lainey Teel (against a triple team) – had evened the score at the break.

The game remained close in the second quarter, with neither side generating lasting momentum. Some bad choices in the offensive zone resulting in errant passes and two missed breakaways allowed Lindsay the edge at the half, 18-14.

At intermission several things were clear: Alba-Golden had missed a great opportunity to build a lead in that first quarter when Lindsay was stung by the Lady Panthers’ aggressiveness; Lindsay was skilled at perimeter passing in the offensive zone and began to warm-up their offense late in the first half; and it was clear that the officiating was some of the most inconsistent of the year.

Commencing the third quarter, Lindsay scored on two consecutive driving baskets – one a 3-point play – and went up by nine points. Coach Troy Wallace whistled a time-out. 

When play resumed, the Lady Panthers methodically climbed back in the game. A strong effort by Alexis Wilmut, two inside scores by Teel, and a Kayleigh Logan jumper made the score 28-27 with just over two minutes remaining in the third. 

It was the high-water mark for the Alba-Golden season. Two bad passes by Lady Panthers and some confusion as the clock ran out saw the Lindsay lead balloon to six points.

Lindsay scored the first two buckets of the final quarter after stealing an inbound pass and executing a breakaway after a turnover. Halfway through the quarter, Lindsay was scoring at will, while the Lady Panthers could find no offense. 

The season, a memorable one for the school and community, had run its course.