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The Chilton County girls basketball team proved that they are the best the county has to offer after a 61-42 win over Thorsby in the 2021 county championship game.

The Tigers flexed their muscle with the 19-point margin of victory.

“In my book, it is expected of us to win the county tournament,” CCHS junior Marlie Giles said. “We’re really looking forward to the area tournament and are ready to show out.”

Giles scored nine points on the night and was named tournament MVP.

It was a quick start for CCHS, which jumped out to a 17-9 lead after one quarter of play.

Giles was active on the boards and used her size to create opportunities for rebounds and points in the paint.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten better,” Giles said. “My teammates help me a lot by giving me good looks.”

The second quarter proved the most crucial toward the Tigers’ eventual triumph.

CCHS played lockdown defense in the second quarter from start to finish and successfully held Thorsby scoreless during the frame.

“It was really energetic once we started pressing them,” Giles said. “We could see their emotions start to go down once we started scoring and doing well.”

Thanks to the stellar effort on the defensive end, CCHS grew its lead to 36-9 at halftime.

“We’ve definitely grown since last year, especially since coach has brought up a couple of the younger girls,” Giles said. “I believe that it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’re good, you’re good.”

Although the Rebels did not add to the scoreboard during the second quarter, it was not due to a lack of chances.

Thorsby had plenty of open looks from three-point range but could not get any of them to fall.

As the Rebels struggled shooting, CCHS took command of the game with explosive guard Iasia Anderson and sharpshooter Kelsey Cleckler combining for 15 of the Tigers 19 second-quarter points.

Cleckler finished with 13 points, including making three three-pointers.

The Rebels appeared to do a nice job slowing down Anderson at times, but at the end of the night she still finished with a game-high 23 points and was the most productive scorer for the Tigers.

Despite being down 27 points midway through the contest, Thorsby continued to fight back and showcased the effort you expect from the defending champion.

Cameron Lockhart led the Rebels with 15 points, and Carlee Wyatt posted 10 points.