Lady Bulldogs stay in playoff hunt

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 1/28/21

Quitman seniors Lindsey Hornaday and Kynlee Love made sure they kept their dream of playing on a playoff team alive, leading the Lady Bulldogs to a must-win 29-21 victory over Harmony Friday. The win …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Lady Bulldogs stay in playoff hunt

Posted

Quitman seniors Lindsey Hornaday and Kynlee Love made sure they kept their dream of playing on a playoff team alive, leading the Lady Bulldogs to a must-win 29-21 victory over Harmony Friday. The win gives Quitman an opportunity for the final District 13-3A playoff spot. 

Lady Bulldog Head Coach Blake Hamrick was pleased with the win.

“This was a big week for us,” he said. “We basically had two must-win games with Mineola and Harmony. I was proud of our girls and the fight we showed. This Harmony game is one of those games where it is really easy to get frustrated and down because they make it so hard to score, but we battled and had a great fourth quarter to finish the game. Our seniors, Kynlee (Love) and Lindsey (Hornaday), both stepped up and were huge for us in that win.”

The play of both defenses highlighted the low scoring game. After battling three quarters, Harmony took a 16-15 lead into the final eight minutes. In one of her finest hours, Hornaday basically took over the Lady Bulldog offense, scoring eight points down the stretch on two drives to the bucket, a short jumper and two free throws. 

The first quarter ended with Quitman leading 5-4. The tight zone defense of Harmony kept the Lady Bulldogs from getting off a shot in the first three minutes. Quitman’s full court pressure held the Lady Eagles in check.

In the second period, a pair of Ava Burroughs buckets and Love’s second triple of the game led Quitman to a 12-10 lead at intermission. Harmony outscored Quitman 6-3 in the third quarter with Burroughs getting Lady Bulldog points on a basket and free throw with 13 seconds left in the quarter. 

Then it was time for Hornaday’s final quarter heroics, leading to the eight-point win for Quitman and an opportunity for a playoff spot, something the Lady Bulldogs have not done in years.

Hornaday led with 10 points, Love had eight, Burroughs seven points and seven rebounds while Maddy Pence scored four points and led the team with three steals. 

After the Lady Bulldogs took on state-ranked Chapel Hill Tuesday, they face Winona at home this Friday and then finish the season at third-ranked Winnsboro Feb. 5.