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MONTGOMERY – T.R. Miller went on a 18-4 run with more than 5 minutes left in the fourth period, and the Lady Tigers defeated UMS-Wright 41-34 Feb. 19 in the Class 4A South Regional Semifinal at Garrett Coliseum.

“That was a tough game,” TRM girls basketball coach Ron Jackson said. “They (UMS) are a great team. They are well disciplined, and had a good offense. We just played hard. We tried to put full pressure at the end of the game, and they started to get a
little tired. They had good, skilled kids, but the only thing that beat them in the end was that they were a little tired.”

TRM had an energy boost at the right time during the game. The Lady Tigers trailed 15-2 at the end of the first period, and were behind 20-11 at halftime. The Brewton team cut the game to five points by the end of the third period.

In the end, TRM outscored UMS 39-19 in the final three periods of the game. The Lady Tigers improve to 22-4 overall, and advance to today’s regional final at 4 p.m. against Jackson. JHS defeated Orange Beach 54-48 in overtime on Monday. One key contributor of the 18-4 run was T.R. Miller’s free throws. The Lady Tigers made 10-of-14 foul shots.

Jackson said the girls played with a lot of grit and fight.
“We’re not as big a team as we need to be,” the coach said. “If we take our center out of the ball game, she’s a ninth grader and in a couple of years she’s going to be good for us.”

Jackson, who is retiring at the end of the season, was asked if a game like this would make him reconsider stepping away from the game.
“I don’t know, it ain’t too good for my heart,” Jackson said.

T.R. Miller’s Meg Fountain led the Lady Tigers with 17 points. Bethany Simmons added 10 points, and Serenity Mitchell contributed with nine. Natasia Reed scored five points.

UMS-Wright’s Ellie Mostelar led with 12 points. Noel Freeman scored 10 points. In the fourth, Mitchell went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Simmons got a 3-pointer to cut the game to four points with more than 5 minutes remaining.

Simmons later found Fountain on the inside for an easy bucket and a 32-30 lead. UMS tied it with a pair of free shots. Fountain added a big 3-pointer with 2:30 left, and helped give the lead the Lady Tigers wouldn’t give up.