Strong 2nd half for Lady Panthers in victory over Atkinson

Published 9:00 am Sunday, December 11, 2022

CHULA — Tiftarea Academy and Atkinson County met for the first time on the basketball court Saturday, Dec. 10, and there was a happy result for both sides.

The Lady Panthers pulled away in the 2nd half to win, 54-28. Atkinson’s boys combined speed with a deadly shooting touch to defeat Tiftarea, 74-52.

Head coach Rob Flick said his Lady Panthers showed a lot more energy after halftime.

Tied 16-16 at one point, they scored the last four points of the 2nd quarter, then held Atkinson’s Lady Rebels without a basket for 7:25 of the 3rd frame.

In total it was a 22-1 run over 10 minutes of clock, transforming a close game to a runaway.

Tiftarea had three players in double figures Saturday, Elli Bryan, Jolee Paulk and Ali Strenth. All three were major parts of the team’s surge.

Livi Mullis scored first in the 3rd, then an energized Lady Panthers’ defense created a turnover with a 10-second violation. Then the locals really took off.

Bryan scored five straight points. A Paulk shot from behind the arc increased the score to 29-16. Strenth got into the act, with a beautiful bit of give-and-go from Bryan for a basket. Five more points for Bryan ended the streak for a new score of 38-16.

S. Williams broke ATCO’s silence with a free throw. Their first basket from the field in the 2nd half, by R. Edmonds, went in with 31 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter.

The Lady Rebels steadied their ship long enough to pull to 38-23 to start the 4th, but Tiftarea was off and running again. When Paulk assisted Strenth with 4:50 left, the lead was back to 21 points, 47-26.

Atkinson led for bits of the 1st frame, their biggest at 10-6 when K. Moore converted a steal. Bryan ended that, however, with back-to-back 3-pointers to go ahead 12-10 going into the 2nd.

Paulk put them ahead at 15-10 before ATCO roared back to tie it at 16-16. The Lady Panthers came alive at the end of the half, punctuated by Strenth’s 3 at the top of the key.

Bryan led with 19 points, getting her closer and closer to 1,000 for her career. Strenth finished with 13 points and Paulk was at 12. Edmonds finished with 10 for Atkinson.

ATKINSON 74, PANTHERS 52

The Rebels relied on speed and more speed against Tiftarea, which is still seeking its first win of 2022-23. Atkinson impressed Flick, who coached the boys Saturday as well. He was also pleased with Tiftarea’s continued progress and how they stuck with the visitors for much of the 1st half.

Eighty seconds into the contest, ATCO was already up five points. Their pace slowed down, courtesy of the Tiftarea defense, who worked their way back in it with Tucker Hall and J.R. Walker.

Cubbie Crosson flipped a pass to Hall, who immediately hit a 3-pointer to close to 9-8. Ninety seconds later, Walker scored to again pull Tiftarea to within one at 11-10.

A personal 6-0 run by Z. Wilson extended Atkinson’s lead to 22-10 at the start of the 2nd. The Panthers again battled back.

Hall and Carter Cook knocked down 3s and Hall took a rebound coast to coast to make it a 29-20 contest with a minute to go. Free throws by Atkinson extended it back to double-figures — 11 points — in the waning seconds of the half.

Cook and Hall scored at the start of the 3rd, but ATCO scored more often. They went ahead 48-27 before another 3 by Hall.

The Panthers performed well overall at the free throw line, especially in the 3rd. Both Walker and Thomas Coogle made all of their attempts.

A. Matthews hit from behind the arc in every quarter. Cook did so four times, twice in the 4th, which also saw Crosson and Dallas Henderson hit from deep. The Panthers made nine 3s overall.

The 4th quarter was a track meet, with 42 combined points.

Cook led the way for Tiftarea with 14 points, eight in the 4th period. Hall scored 13 and Walker notched 11.

Wilson’s 17 paced Atkinson, with 16 from Matthews and 13 from D. Myers.

Tiftarea will travel to Westwood on Dec. 16, their last game before Christmas.