By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
It was something the T.R. Miller Lady Tigers had failed in their three previous situations this season, but they got the job done Friday when they held off the visiting Monroe County Lady Tigers 35-31.
The win marked the first time this season T.R. Miller had won a game decided by six points or less after it had dropped a pair of decisions to Andalusia and one to UMS-Wright within that point range.
Jackson has a good point. The Lady Tigers went the final 13:11 of the game without a field goal, scored just three points the last quarter and squandered most of a nine-point fourth quarter lead.
The Lady Tigers (10-8) had individuals play well in spurts, but rarely as a collective unit.
Kesha Peterson had a three-pointer, a bucket off an offensive rebound and two free throws in the opening frame, but nobody else scored for T.R. Miller despite the fact it took a 7-6 lead.
Catherine Green scored all eight of her points in the second quarter, which included six on a pair of three-pointers. Green's second trey with 2:51 left in the first half capped off a 13-4 run that stretched T.R. Miller's lead to a game-high bulge of 20-10.
Donya Grice delivered all her offensive production in the second half. Eight of her nine points came in the third quarter. Her field goal with 5:11 left in the period that gave T.R. Miller a 30-22 lead turned out to be the last bucket of the game for the host Lady Tigers.
Two free throws by Grice with 36 seconds left in the frame ended four and a half minutes of scoreless play by T.R. Miller and enabled the Lady Tigers to match their biggest lead of the game at 32-22.
Monroe County (5-16) nearly overcame a five-minute stretch in the second half without a point and a seven and a half minute stretch without a field goal.
The visiting Lady Tigers ended their field goal drought with 6:12 left in the game on a baseline jumper by Raven Salter. Monroe County then followed that bucket up with field goals by Tyese Chaney and Salter that trimmed T.R. Miller's lead to just 34-31 with 3:20 left.
T.R. Miller's defense stiffened and did not allow another point the rest of the way and a free throw by Grice with 16 seconds left made it a two-possession lead.
The Lady Tigers close out the regular season Monday when they host Flomaton at 5:30 p.m.
At T.R. Miller
Monroe County 6 10 7 8 - 31
T.R. Miller 7 15 10 3 - 35
MONROE COUNTY (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Salter 5-0-2-12; Chaney 5-0-0-10; Winters 2-0-0-4; Stallworth 1-0-0-2; Murphy 1-0-0-2; Sigler 0-0-1-1 (Totals: 14-0-3-31)
T.R. MILLER (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Peterson 1-2-2-10; Green 3-0-3-9; Green 1-2-0-8; McCorvey 0-0-4-4; Williams 1-0-0-2; Boley 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 7-4-9-35)