By By Adam Robinson – Sports Editor
For the first quarter and half, it looked like the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers were in for a dogfight for their eighth straight win and to stay perfect in the area with their fifth area win of the season against the Cottage Hill Christian Academy Lady Warriors Thursday night at home.
But, like usual for the Lady Tigers, they began to pressure Cottage Hill and before long the Lady Tigers used 12-0 run at one time in the second quarter and a 5-0 run to end the quarter to hold a 25-14 lead at the half.
From there, the Lady Tigers settled in and used another 8-0 run and then a 9-0 to cruise to a 46-28 win over the Lady Warriors and improve to 15-2 overall and to 5-0 in area play.
The win puts the Lady Tigers one win away from going perfect in the area and clinching the host for the area tournament.
The Lady Tigers led by only one point at the end of the first quarter, 7-6, but outscored Cottage Hill 18-8 in the second quarter after benefiting from a 12-0 run at one point of the quarter to turn a 10-8 deficit into a 20-10 lead with 2:57 left before half.
The Lady Tigers then ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to hold an 11-point lead at the half.
Jackson said it is kind of hard to go through a game plan and pressure the whole game and to get turnovers play after play after play.
“With a good team like Cottage Hill, you will probably just get four or five turnovers back-to-back if your lucky,” Jackson said. “If you are not lucky you might just get one or two. And then you just keep hoping that it wears on them as the night goes.”
After leading by 11 points at the half, the Lady Tigers held a 10-5 advantage in the third quarter to lead 35-19 after three quarters of play and then held an 11-9 lead in the fourth quarter to claim the 18-point area win.
Nakiya Smith led the Lady Tigers with 16 points. Kesha Peterson and Ashley Williams followed with five points each in the win.
Keydra Shedrone, Zykeya Barton, Catherine Green and MyNetra Boley all chipped in three points.
Leah Brundidge added three points and Janel McCorvey had one point for the Lady Tigers.
After leading by one at the end of the first quarter after a Barton basket, Cottage Hill used a 4-0 run to claim a 10-8 lead over the Lady Tigers with 5:59 left in the half.
From there, the Lady Tigers used a 12-0 run to hold a 20-10 lead with 2:57 left to play.
Smith lead the Lady Tigers in the run with five points and Williams had a 3-pointer to start the run. Green and Shedrone had two points each.
After the 12-0 run was ended, a 5-0 run for the Lady Tigers gave them a 25-14 lead at the half.
In the second half of play, Smith lead the Lady Tigers with four points and was followed by two each from Peterson and Boley as a 6-0 run for the Lady Tigers gave T.R. Miller a 33-14 lead with 2:21 left in the quarter and lead 35-19 at the end of the third quarter.
The Lady Tigers benefited with a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter to grab a 44-19 lead with 4:28 left to play in the game.
Cottage Hill closed the game on a 9-2 run, but it was not enough as the Lady Tigers took the win 46-28.
T.R. Miller was set to take on Choctaw County Saturday at home with a chance to take the regular season area championship and host the area tournament.