By Staff
Wildcats survive scare, defeat Vina 57-49
Kim West
PHIL CAMPBELL – The fifth-seeded Vina varsity girls gave No. 4 Tharptown a scare in the opening round of the Franklin County Tournament Tuesday.
Vina's Heather Holland scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Lady Red Devils took a 12-9 first-quarter lead, but Tharptown fought back in the second with an 11-5 run to lead 20-17 at halftime.
The Lady Wildcats built a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Vina responded with 24 points and whittled the lead down to only four points with less than two minutes remaining after Devyn Childers drilled a 3-pointer.
But Tharptown used back-to-back fast break baskets to push their lead to eight points in the final minute.
Holland scored a game-high 30 points, including 11 in the final period, while Childers had seven and Jessie Norwood added six. Lizette Martinez (5) and Kayla Raper (1) also scored for Vina.
Three Tharptown starters scored in double figures as Chelsea McCluskey had 14 points, while Beth Lane and Lauren Scott each tossed in 10. Autumn Hatton added nine points, and Tosha George finished with seven. Hollie Hines (5) and Lori Metcalf (2) also scored.