The Russellville girls’ basketball team spent part of Thanksgiving week in Hartselle participating in the Encore Classic, and head coach Jermaine Groce’s Lady Golden Tigers found the competition to be strong.

Play started for RHS Nov. 23, with the Lady Golden Tigers taking on the Cullman Lady Bearcats. Russellville struggled to get things going on the offensive end and fell by a 67-13 final score.

Lexie Glass led RHS in scoring with six points. She was followed by Autumn Logan with four and Madison Murray with two. Fallin Cox helped out with one point.

Action resumed Nov. 26 for Russellville, and the Lady Golden Tigers got good scoring under the basket by post players Glass and Logan – but fell to Good Hope 67-41.

Glass had a team-high 17 points, while Logan finished with eight. Murray also scored eight, while Jenna Whitfield had 4. AJ Taylor and Makala O’Neal scored two points each for RHS.

Russellville (1-4) finished up play in the event Nov. 27 with a game against A.P. Brewer.

The Lady Patriots were too much for RHS, and they defeated the Lady Golden Tigers by a 43-29 final score.

Russellville was balanced on the offensive end, with eight players getting into the scoring column. Glass led the way for the third straight game, and this time, she finished with nine points.

Krista Sikes had six, while Murray and Leah Rushing had three points apiece. Cox, Taylor, O’Neal and Jayna Poss all had two points each for RHS.

A big week is ahead for Russellville, as the team will get into Class 5A, Area 14 play.

The Lady Golden Tigers opened regular season area action with a home matchup against the Lady Red Devils of Lawrence County Dec. 3; results were not available by press deadline.

That will be followed by a trip to Hamilton Friday.