LADY BEARCATS EDGED BY LAMAR IN BEARCAT CLASSIC

The Booneville Lady Bearcats stood toe-to-toe with the defending Class 3A state champions Tuesday night before falling 43-37 on the opening night of the annual Bearcat Classic.

The Lady Bearcats (2-1) scored the first six points of the game – baskets by Tempi Terry and Makinley Ensey and a pair of Anna Ferguson free throws – and led 23-20 when Haylee Taylor (shown) broke a tie at 20 with her second 3 of the second quarter.

Lamar got a late basket to make it 23-22 going into the half and extended the lead to a game high nine at 35-26 with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

Bench scoring in the form of a basket by Raelynn Franklin and a 3 by Harlee Fitzjurls cut it back to 35-31 by the end of the quarter but the Lady Bearcats were not done.

Franklin added a couple of free throws with 6:36 to play and a basket by Ferguson cut the deficit to 36-35 with 5:58 remaining.

A fourth chance basket got Lamar out to a full possession lead and the Lady Warriors, who the Lady Bearcats will see twice more in conference action, were able to push the lead back out to as many as seven in the final minute.

Tempi Terry led the Lady Bearcats with 9 points and added 6 rebounds. Franklin pulled down 7 rebounds.

Lamar 68 Bearcats 38

Three pointers were the theme for the Bearcats in the boys game. A pair of them by Nick Widner would actually give the Bearcats a 6-4 lead just 2:01 into the game.

But Lamar scored the next 18 points, a run that ended on a pair of 3s from Ayden Hill.

Two more 3s from Widner got the Bearcats within 8 and 9 but Lamar closed the half on a 15-1 run and led 42-19.

Nate Fowler and Reed Brackney accounted for traditional baskets in the third quarter, sandwiching them around 3s from Widner and Hill, who finished with 10 points.

Widner hit his sixth 3 – accounting for all of his 18 points – in the final quarter and Braelon Lewis got into the act with the team’s 10th of the night.

The Lady Bearcats and Bearcats will play Acorn on the second night of the classic, with the girls slated to tip off at about 6:30 and the boys at 7:45 p.m.