After stunning Bayside Academy in overtime Thursday night in their area tournament opener, the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers fell to Cottage Hill Saturday in the championship game 48-23.
The loss dropped T.R. Miller to 4-17 this year, but the Lady Tigers advanced to the sub-regional round of the playoffs as the area runner-up.
T.R. Miller will now advance play at Straughn (29-2), Thursday at 7 p.m., for the right to advance to the South Regional in Dothan.
Straughn won the area 2 championship with a 37-28 win over Opp. Opp will travel to Cottage Hill Thursday for the right to play in Dothan.
In the game Saturday, Cottage Hill outscored T.R. Miller 13-1 in the first quarter to help propel them to the win.
In the second quarter, T.R. Miller was edged out 9-8 as the Lady Warriors took a 22-9 lead at the half.
In the third, Cottage Hill increased their lead to 34-13 after outscoring the Lady Tigers 12-4 in the quarter.
In the fourth, Cottage Hill edged out the Lady Tigers 14-10 for the 25-point win.
Emonea Curry led the Lady Tigers with 13 points.
Last year, for the first time in 20 years, the T.R. Miller Lady Tiger basketball team did not advance past area tournament play as they lost to Bayside Academy 42-39 to see their season end. With the loss, the Lady Tigers ended their season with a 14-10 record.
The last time the Lady Tigers did not make it out of area play was the 1991-1992 season.
During that span, the Lady Tigers have won four state championships and have made 19 sub-regional appearances, 17, regional appearances and 12 Final Four appearances.
Admission to the sub-regional tournaments is $6, which is set by the AHSAA.