Chilton County High School will have a chance to defend its title in the 2018 Chilton County girls basketball championship after a 52-18 victory over Verbena in the semifinals on Jan. 5.

It was a dominant showing by the Tigers, which quickly bounced back from a slow start to lead 19-4 at the end of the first quarter and 38-6 at halftime.

It did not take long for Chilton County’s size to show up around the rim, which resulted in plenty of second chance opportunities on offense and one-shot possessions on defense.

“In most games this year we’ve had a good size advantage, but it’s about getting them to do the execution of boxing out, rebounding and hitting free throws,” CCHS head coach Clint Pitchford said. “All those things matter.”

The Tigers had a balanced attack on offense with eight players making a basket.

It was led by Jasmine Martin, who finished tied for a game-high with 11 points, while Shalisa White added nine points, including a pair of three-pointers.

Lexis Blackman and Adi Argent were relentless attackers and finished with seven points apiece.

The Verbena offense had a difficult time developing a rhythm and had trouble solving the CCHS height advantage.

JaNiya White tied the game-high with 11 points and Jasmyn White dropped in six points.

CCHS did a nice job of handling both guards, which they will look to do again in the championship game against Isabella’s dangerous ball handlers.

“The game plan coming into tonight was to put pressure on them early in the backcourt and stop them [JaNiya and Jasmyn White] from running in transition,” CCHS head coach Clint Pitchford said. “They are very similar to Isabella’s guards.”