Southland pulls away late from Lady Panthers

Published 10:00 am Saturday, January 28, 2023

CHULA — Southland Academy basketball teams completed the regular season basketball sweep over Tiftarea Academy Friday, Jan. 27.

Southland broke a 4th quarter tie to win over the Lady Panthers, 50-45. The Raiders moved quickly out of the gate for a 62-32 victory in the nightcap.

The loss was only the third of the year for the Lady Panthers. Southland gave them two of those, with Deerfield-Windsor the other.

It was tie game going into the 4th quarter, 30-30. Southland broke out of it and took a 35-30 lead on five points by Riley Mitchell, but Tiftarea slowly worked their way back into it.

Elli Bryan landed a 3-pointer, her only points of the night, then Ali Strenth’s three-point play at 5:18 put them back ahead, 36-35.

For the next three minutes, the game seesawed, the lead trading places. After free throws by Southland, Strenth drove the lane for a basket, then did so again in response to another score.

When Julia Caroline Bailey was good from behind the arc, Livi Mullis matched her.

Then Morgan Weaver hit a pair of free shots for the Lady Warriors. Tiftarea was unable to score on their end, then watched Bailey sink another deep shot. With 25 seconds left, they were down 48-43.

Strenth split defenders with 13 seconds to make it 48-45, but the Lady Panthers found themselves in a quandary. Usually, several players are in foul trouble this late in games. Friday, they’d kept their hands to themselves and only had two team fouls.

Tiftarea did manage to foul four times to send Southland to the stripe, but only six seconds were left. Weaver made both attempts, putting the result out of reach.

The squads were incredibly evenly matched throughout. In the first half, the biggest lead for either side was four points, a 17-13 score favoring Tiftarea when Strenth posted in the paint.

Mitchell completed a 4-0 run to end the half, allowing Southland to go ahead 26-23. That was their biggest lead to that point. Before the last minute of the 4th, the Lady Warriors never led by more than four points, which they had achieved early in the 3rd.

Strenth was the Tiftarea wrecking crew for the evening. She scored 12 points in the 1st half, seven in the 2nd quarter. Strenth tallied nine more in the 4th.

The Lady Panthers survived a scary moment in the 2nd quarter when Jolee Paulk needed help off the court when she fell awkwardly while defending. She only missed a couple of minutes of action, however, and scored 7 points for the game.

Grace Odom and Mullis made big shot blocks.

Strenth led the way with 21 points. Paulk scored 7 and Mullis finished with 6. Mitchell scored 14 for Southland, with Bailey at 12 and Lauren Duke at 10.

RAIDERS 62, TIFTAREA 32

Quick hands, great anticipation and a balanced offense power the Raiders against Tiftarea, which is still looking for its first region victory.

Perhaps surprisingly, Tiftarea led early. Ninety seconds in, Carter Cook made a 3-pointer off an assist from Cubbie Crosson for a 3-0 advantage.

Two baskets by Cedric Smith helped Southland go ahead 7-3. Cook got another 3-pointer to keep the Panthers close, but the Raiders finished the 1st on a 13-0 tear.

Six more points followed in the 2nd before J.R. Walker took advantage of a behind-the-back pass from Cook for an easy two points. The rest of Tiftarea’s 2nd period production came from Caden Grier.

Grier scored six points in the last 3:20 of the half, his first bucket of the season turning into a three-point play when he was fouled. Grier also connected on a jumper and another free throw.

While Grier was showing his promise for future seasons, Southland was continued their success scoring.

Carlos Tyson dunked off a steal and Banks Simmons used his size underneath to aid his team further. Southland was ahead 42-14 at intermission.

Cook hit his third from behind the arc in the 3rd. Most of the 2nd half, though, belonged to Tiftarea’s youth.

Trailing 60-20 going in the 4th, the young Panthers immediately put the clamps on the Southland. The Raiders did not score for the first five inutes of the 4th and only had two points total.

Andrew Connell made two 3-pointers. Cully Hendley began working magic underneath the hoop, extending plays and getting to the free throw line. He had six points in the period.

On the defensive end, Charlie Burke blocked two shots.

Cook was Tiftarea’s points leader with 9. Grier, Hendley and Connell scored 6 apiece.

Tyson scored 15 for Southland. Luke Exley finished with 14 and Perry Usher scored 10 points.