By By SCOTT COOPER – Sports Writer
T.R. Miller's Lady Tigers notched their ninth consecutive victory and moved to 18-3 on the season with a Jan. 28 win at home over the Escambia County Lady Devils.
Escambia County played the sixth-ranked Lady Tigers tough for a period only to succumb to Miller's relentless pressure defense as the game evolved.
The Lady Devils stepped onto the floor playing a trapping defense that caused Miller some problems early. The Lady Devils led 6-2 before an Ashley Samuel bucket made the score 6-4 with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter. With both teams exhibiting a tough defensive mindset over the next three minutes, neither team was able to generate any offense. But, a Samuel basket tied the game at 6-6 with 1:04 remaining in the period and then consecutive Jasmine Sanford baskets placed the Lady Tigers out front, 10-6, entering the second stanza.
The Lady Devils got a quick two points at the beginning of the second period to pull within a basket, 10-8. Then, Miller shifted into another gear and effectively put the game away. With Samuel, Akia Suarez and Brittnee Malloyd leading an offensive charge that saw the Lady Tigers outscore Escambia County 22-4 through the rest of the quarter, Miller entered halftime with a comfortable 32-12 advantage.
If there were any doubts of the Lady Tigers' grip on the lead at the halfway point of the contest, they were answered with a 20-0 third quarter run that placed Miller in a dominating position and up by 40 points, 52-12.
The Lady Tigers took advantage of an opportunity for some younger players to gain game experience in the final period. With most of the Miller starters out of the game, the Lady Devils outscored the Lady Tigers 16-13 in the fourth quarter to reduce the winning margin to 37 points.
Leading scorers for the Lady Tigers were Ashley Samuel, 21 points; Brittnee Malloyd, 12 points and Akia Suarez, 10 points.