Annamarie Cooper swats the ball away from Eagleville and creates an extra possession for the Lady ‘Dawgs. (Post Photo by Chris Siers)
Camille Franklin skies for a rebound in the second half against the Lady Eagles. (Post Photo by Chris Siers)
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
CORNERSVILLE — Emma Kate Dunivan and Ady Gentry each scored 13 points in the Region 5-A quarterfinal on Friday night against Eagleville and the Cornersville Lady ‘Dawgs played some lockdown defense in the second half to advance to the region quarterfinals with the 45-33 win over the Lady Eagles.
Early on, it was nothing short of a 3-point barrage from both teams, as the first 18 points of the game all came from beyond the arc, with Cornersville building a 12-6 lead with 2:17 left in the first quarter.
Despite doubling up the Lady Eagles with just over two minutes left in the opening quarter, Eagleville finished the quarter on a 6-2 run to cut the Lady ‘Dawg lead to 14-12 after the first eight minutes.
Cornersville simply struggled to score in the paint through much of the first half and drilled four treys in the opening frame, with Annamarie Cooper hitting a pair of 3-pointers, while Emma Kate Dunivan and Ady Gentry each hit triples.
Eagleville also lit it up from the perimeter in the first half, knocking down four treys in the first half.
Cornersville’s offe
Emma Kate Dunivan brings the ball across half-court and sets up the Lady ‘Dawg offense. (Post Photo by Chris Siers)
nse slowed considerably in the second quarter as Eagleville rallied to take a 22-16 lead with 3:34 left in the half, but with 19 seconds left in the second, it was the Lady ‘Dawgs who rallied to take a 23-22 lead into the half.
The third quarter continued to be played along a razor’s edge, with Walker knocking down another 3-pointer for the home team and allowing Cornersville to play add on with a 10-9 run in the period.
But eventually, the Lady ‘Dawg defense that forced Eagleville to rely on a perimeter attack took its toll on the Lady Eagles.
Eagleville managed just a single field goal in the fourth quarter, while the Lady ‘Dawgs ran away with the control of the game, tacking on 12 more, including going 8-for-8 from the free throw line to ice the game and advance within the region.
Gentry and Dunivan both scored 13 points to lead the Lady ‘Dawgs, while Walker chipped in 11.
Eagleville saw just four players score, with Meah Thompson matching a game-high 13 points and Brinli Bain finishing with 11.
The win advances Cornersville to the Region 5-A semifinals against District 9-A champion Moore County.
Moore County enters the elimination round on Monday night with a 26-3 overall record, while Cornersville advances with an 18-8 overall record.
The winner of Monday night’s game not only secures a spot in the Region 5-A championship game, but also locks down a Class A state sectional berth as well.
Eagleville 12 10 9 2 — 33
Cornersville 14 9 10 12 — 45
Eagleville: Meah Thompson 13, Brinli Bain 11, Bayli Sutter 7, MC Whitt 2.
Cornersville: Emma Kate Dunivan 13, Ady Gentry 13, Sara Kate Walker 11, Annamarie Cooper 6, Summer Anthony 2.
3-Point goals: Eagleville (5): Bain 3, Sutter 2; Cornersville (7): Dunivan 3, Cooper 2, Gentry, Walker.
Halftime score: Cornersville 23, Eagleville 22.
