CCHS maintains second half lead against Marbury
Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, February 1, 2017
- Lexis Blackman weaves through the Marbury defense with a behind-the-back dribble. (Photo by Anthony Richards)
The Chilton County girls basketball team edged out Marbury 58-55 in a tight game on Jan. 31.
The Tigers saw a 27-22 halftime lead increase to double digits by the end of the third quarter and shrink to three points, following consecutive Marbury 3-pointers just past the midway point in the fourth quarter.
However, Chilton County never lost control of the lead and maintained its edge despite a couple of close calls.
A major reason why was the play of Shalisa White. The junior has come on strong to be more of a factor as the season has progressed, especially on the offensive end.
White accounted for 14 points against Marbury, all coming in the second half, as she continues to get back in a rhythm after having not played for two years while recovering from back surgery.
“She has continued to gain confidence and has become an asset as we head into the area tournament,” Chilton County head coach Robert Bradford said.
Jasmine Martin had a team-high 15 points, while Kaley Lucas was the highest scoring senior with 12 points.
The victory was the final home game of the regular season for the Tigers, who honored six seniors immediately following the game.
Five out of the six seniors have been a part of the basketball program for three years, with the exception being Emily Lanier, who was a cheerleader prior to joining the team this year.
“They’re a good group of girls, and they’ve worked hard on their basketball skills,” Bradford said. “When you’re around these girls for years, you’ve seen them grow. It’s nice for them to be able to go out with a winning season.”
It is one of the larger senior classes that girls basketball has produced in recent years, after no seniors last year and two in 2015.
“There is a lot of young talent on the team, but from a leadership standpoint those girls are going to be missed,” Bradford said.