J.R. Tidwell/FCT Brae Sellars (21) cuts off a piece of the net at Tharptown after the Lady Wildcats defeated Belgreen to win the area championship.

THARPTOWN The Tharptown Lady Wildcats defeated the Belgreen Lady Bulldogs 55-39 in a hard-fought match Saturday night.

The Lady Wildcats had the lead for most of the contest and were able to hold off the Lady Bulldogs for the win.

“I thought our girls fought hard,” Tharptown head coach Chad Green said.

“They’ve worked hard all year.”

Erica Smith put Belgreen up 4-3 with two free throws early in the first, but Tharptown’s Brae Sellars hit two-straight 3-pointers to put the Lady Wildcats back on top 9-4.

Sellars would go on to hit five 3s in the game.

Tharptown would never relinquish this lead, turning a 28-23 halftime advantage into a 43-29 cushion at the start of the fourth.

The Lady Bulldogs would never get as close to the lead again as they did late in the second, and the Lady Wildcats took the first place trophy in the 1A Area 13  championship.