It was cold and snowy outside but the Lady Panthers of Alba-Golden displayed a hot hand inside Delbert Ballard Memorial Gym Friday night trouncing Quitman 75-23 behind the solid play of senior Shelby Wright who hit for 23 points to lead the way.

It was a tight game early when Quitman’s Brittany Wall hit a three-point bucket to bring the Lady Bulldogs within 7-5, but Lady Panther Ashlyn Rogers hit back to back shots to up Alba-Golden’s lead to 11-5. Quitman’s Shelby Smith made a basket to cut the lead to 11-7 before Wright hit back to back treys to open up the score to 14-7. The Lady Panther press caused several Lady Bulldog turnovers and great hustle from Brianna Weissert leading to a pair of buckets gave Alba-Golden a 23-9 first quarter lead.

The Lady Panthers continued their hot shooting with Gracie Pendergrass and Wright upping the lead early in the quarter scoring baskets making it a 28-9 lead when Kaci Raley’s shot made for Quitman cut it to 28-11. Quitman would only score one more point in the quarter while the Lady Panthers added 11 more to take a commanding 39-12 lead at intermission.

The Lady Panthers came back in the second half to score 36 points to 12 for Quitman and take the 75-23 win giving them a perfect 5-0 district record.

Wright led all scoring with 23 points followed by Pendergrass with 11 Weissert with 10, Rogers had six, while Macie Pendergrass, Kenzie Chadwick and Ginny Carson each hit for four.

For Quitman, Smith had nine points, Raley eight and Walls six.

The Lady Bulldogs lost to Eustace on the road last Tuesday night 57-34.

Quitman (4-15, 1-4) hosted Grand Saline Tuesday, after Monitor press time, and travels to face county rival Mineola (16-7, 2-3) Friday night.