“Talent wins, tough finishes.” 

That’s the motto printed on the Lady Bulldogs’ team bags this season, and on Monday night, Feb. 16, the Quitman girls lived up to it. 

Assistant Coach Sheila Sapp pointed to the phrase after the game and said, “We were tough tonight. Tatum played hard, and we didn’t let up. We showed true grit.”

Tatum entered the game with confidence, but quickly met resistance when Autumn Cason stole the ball and drove it down the court for the first score of the night. The Lady Eagles answered with a bucket of their own, setting the tone for a defensive battle.

Although the Quitman squad is smaller in size, they managed to shut down Tatum’s 6-foot standout Kamdyn Scott all evening. Laine Kelly hit a three-pointer, and Annabelle Popek made two free throws to give the Lady Bulldogs a narrow 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Quitman extended their lead to 27-18 with an all-around offensive effort. Cason opened the period with another basket, while Lynlee Taylor added four points. Popek dropped in a bucket, and Addison Sapp contributed a deuce and a three-pointer. Both Kelly and Kinsley McCutcheon scored on fast breaks off of steals, and Erin VanderSchaaf capped the half with a clean three-pointer that hit nothing but net.

Coming out of halftime, Tatum tried to shift the momentum, but struggled against Quitman’s relentless defense. 

Athletic Director Shane Webber praised the effort: “Our defense really did a good job putting pressure on their guards to create key turnovers that led to good transition points,” he said. 

He added that he was especially proud of “how hard we rebounded at times against their ‘bigs.’”

Cason once again set the tone in the third quarter with a three-pointer. Addison Sapp followed with a bucket and three free throws, while Taylor added another score to push the lead to 37-27 heading into the final quarter.

Tatum continued to fight, but couldn’t find their rhythm, managing just five points in the fourth quarter. Sapp nailed another three-pointer early, and Kelly added a basket and a pair of free throws to seal the game 44-32.

The Lady Bulldogs will continue playoff action Friday night, Feb. 20, against DeKalb in Pittsburg.