Fourth quarter collapse proves costly for Lady Wildcats

The Lady Wildcats only scored two points in the fourth quarter as Southside turned a five point lead after three quarters into a 50-35 win over Trumann in 4A-3 action last Tuesday (Jan. 21) at Wildcat Gym.

Trumann opened the game with an 11-3 run as Chelsy Jones hit a jumper before Southside drilled a three-pointer to make 3-2 Lady Southerners early. Chloie Williams scored in the paint for the Lady Wildcats as Jones hit a jumper in the lane to make it 6-3 Trumann with 5:37 left. Jones scored down low and hit triple twine to push the lead to 11-3 only to see Southside hit back to back three-pointers and score inside to tie the game 11-11 after one quarter of play.

The Lady Southerners canned a three-ball to take an early 14-11 lead in the second quarter as Olivia Matos hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 14-14. Southside hit a jumper and Jones answered with a jumper making it 16-16 with 5:30 left. The Lady Southerners scored the next six points before Dalaney Osment hit two of three free throws to make the halftime score 22-18 Southside.

Trumann's Rayahna Pirtle cut the lead to 22-20 with a steal and layup for the Lady Wildcats before Southside canned a three-pointer to make it 25-20 Lady Southerners. Jones hit a jumper for the Lady Wildcats only to see Southside hit a three-pointer and score down low to push their lead to 30-22 with 5:28 left. Jones hit one of two free throws, the Lady Southerners hit one of two free throws, before Oshua Smith scored in the paint and Jones hit one of two free throws to make the score 31-27 Southside. The Lady Southerners hit a jumper, Jones made one of two free throws before Southside got a stick back to push their lead to 35-28. Zacharra Postell scored down low, the Lady Southerners drilled three a three-ball and Matos canned a three-pointer to make the score 38-33 Southside at the end of three quarters.

Tayesha Chappell scored in the paint early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 38-35 only to see Southside score the last 12 points of the game to take the 50-35 win.

“I thought we executed pretty well and made them struggle at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half. We just fell apart in the third quarter,” Trumann head coach Jamison Fortenberry said. “We lost sight of our game plan, especially in the fourth quarter and that hurt us the most tonight,” Fortenberry added.

Jones led Trumann with 17 points while Matos finished with six points. Williams, Osment, Pirtle, Smith, Chappell and Postell all had two points each for the Lady Wildcats.