BEARVILLE — Pierce County’s Lady Bears split their final two regular season home games with the loss ending a two-game winning streak.
The Lady Bears (4-17 overall, 3-5 Region 3-AA) wrapped up region play with a spine-tingling 41-39 win Friday, February 7 on Senior Night against Cook (8-13, 3-5). The Lady Hornets, losers of three straight and five of six, recorded a 36-31 home win January 7.
PCHS had its winning streak snapped Saturday, February 8 when visiting Brantley County record a 37-20 decision. The Lady Herons recorded a 59-30 victory at home December 20.
The season sweep is the second straight for Brantley County in the series and only the third time since 2012-13 the Lady Herons have pulled off the feat.
The fourth-seed Lady Bears hosted fifth-seed Crisp County (320, 0-8), losers of 11 straight including two games to Pierce County, played Monday, February 10 in a play-in game. The winner, who punches a ticket to the “Big Dance” with a state playoff berth, meets top-seed Tattnall County today (Wednesday, February 12) at 7 p.m.
A consolation game (4 p.m.) and championship tilt (7 p.m.) are scheduled for Friday, February 14 at Tattnall County.
Lady Bears .........................41 Cook..................................39
Pierce County overcame a sixpoint deficit entering the final period getting the deciding two points from Claire Murray to beat the Lady Hornets.
The junior scored 16 of her game-high 17 points in the second half.
PCHS led 8-6 after the first eight minutes. Cook followed with a 12-6 scoring advantage in the second period to take an 18-14 lead into the break.
Each team nearly matched their first-half scoring totals during the third period with the Lady Hornets holding a 14-12 scoring advantage stretching the margin to 32-26. PCHS rallied in the final quarter outpointing the visitors 15-7 to escape.
Ansley Hutcheson (trey) was next in the scoring column for the Lady Bears with five points. Madi McGatha, Caren Drew scored four points apiece.
Keirston Jones netted three points. Layla Chandel and Isabella Marx contributed two points each.
Faith Morrison paced Cook with 15 points. Harmony Morrsion bagged 11 points.
Brantley County..................37 Lady Bears..........................20
The Lady Herons held PCHS to seven points or less in each quarter and one two-point field goal to record the road win.
Brantley County capitalized on the Lady Bears’ turnover woes and poor shooting throughout. BCHS limited the home team to a pair of free throws in the first quarter in taking a 10-2 lead. The Lady Herons doubled up Pierce County 12-6 in the second stanza for a 22-8 halftime lead.
The visitors padded the margin in the third period outscoring the Lady Bears 8-5 opening up a 30-13 advantage. Each team scored seven points in the final quarter.
Riana Dennard (trey) scored a game-high 11 points to lead Brantley County. Ella Highsmith and Kimora Mincey finished with nine points and eight points respectively.
Abby Lee netted four points. Summer Colley (trey) chipped in three points and Julia Carter added two points.
Murray (trey) topped PCHS with four points. Azaela Mobley (trey), Marx, McGatha (trey) and Drew (trey) added three points each. Hutchison scored PCHS’s lone twopoint basket. Saharah Minott added a free throw.
