It was basic basketball and thegame ended on a winning note for Bowling Green’s Lady Buccaneers.They hustled on defense, made crucial shots and turned back theBrookhaven Academy Lady Cougars 41-33 Thursday night in thechampionship finals of the BA Holiday Invitational.

 

    It was the third time in four meetings that the Lady Bucs (17-1)held the upper hand, earning them a championship trophypresentation in John R. Gray Gymnasium. The Lady Cougars authored afourth-quarter rally but they never caught the Lady Bucs whocarried a 15-point, 32-17 lead into the final frame.

    In Thursday’s tournament consolation game, Riverdale Academy ofCouchatta, La., beat McComb Parklane 39-30. In the losers’ bracketfinale, East Rankin routed Oak Forest 55-21.

B. Green 41, Brookhaven33

    The Lady Bucs, featuring two juniors, one sophomore, one freshmanand one eighth-grader in the starting lineup, exhibited patient,ball-handling skills and an aggressive defense to keep the hosts incheck. They were sparked by junior point guard Makayla Dykes whotossed in 13 points.

    BA senior playmaker Terah Winborne was in early foul trouble andwas benched with her fourth personal with 1:59 left in the thirdquarter. Her team was down 10 points, 26-16.

    Winborne returned for the final frame and her driving baselinelayup pulled BA within 5 points, 34-29, and 1:45 left to play. Shefinished with 13 points and 5 rebounds.

    However, the Lady Bucs entered the free throw bonus and respondedby making 8 of 10 from the charity line in the last 82 seconds ofthe game.

    “It’s a healthy rivalry,” said BG coach Pat King. “This is ourfourth time to play them and it’s a lot of fun.”

    Asked about his game plan, King said his girls concentrated ondefending BA’s two senior guards, Winborne and Laura Beth Wright.”We wanted to limit those two seniors. We were going to play soliddefense and rebound. We wanted to get everyone involved on offenseand push the tempo.”

    Wright had 8 points and 3 steals in the loss.

    Eighth-grader Ashley Foret shadowed Winborne most of the game andscored 7 of her 9 points in the second half. King said, “Ashleyworks hard and lives in the gym. She earns it.”

    BA junior center Carey Crozier had her best game of the season,collecting 10 points and 7 rebounds. “Carey won the battle in thelane,” said BA coach Ginger Duease.

    “I’m proud of how our girls came back and raised their intensitythe second half,” she pointed out. “We didn’t have much intensitythe first half.”

    Duease complimented the Lady Bucs. “Bowling Green is quick and theyare fundamentally sound at all five positions. They got a lot ofsecond-chance shots on us tonight.”

Riverdale 39, Parklane30

 Morgan Garrett scored 11 points andRebekah Burleson 10 for Riverdale. Leading Parklane was Kim Klunkwith a game-high 14 points.

East Rankin 55, Oak Forest21

    Thirteen points by Karli Coghlan and 10 by Brittani Vinzant pacedEast Rankin’s win.

    Oak Forest got 5 points from Courtney Ourso.