LADY BEARCATS UNABLE TO OVERCOME EARLY DEFICIT

Hector was 7-of-7 at the free throw line in the first quarter helping the Lady Wildcats build a lead the Lady Bearcats could never overcome in a 62-54 loss in Pope County Tuesday night.

Down 13-4 going to the second quarter it was actually free throws that helped the Lady Bearcats close the gap as Lexi Franklin and Leigh Swint both hit two and a basket by Layla Byrum cut it to 13-10.

Hector responded with the next seven points of the game – five on free throws – and were up double digits.

That would be a theme throughout the night.

The Lady Wildcats opened their largest lead at 26-13 just 51 seconds before halftime but baskets by Swint and Byrum closed the gap back to a single digit at 26-17.

Hector again stretched the lead to 13 with 6:13 to play in the third quarter but the Lady Bearcats quickly whittled it back to five on five points from Swint and two buckets by Franklin, one on an assist from Swint, and it was 35-30.

Swint would lead the way with 19 points and nine rebounds and Franklin contributed 11 points and four assists.

After a Lady Wildcat 3 Karmen Kent got into the scoring column and two baskets in a 29-second span by Byrum – who also scored 11 and had six steals – cut the deficit to 38-36.

Kent was also a force inside with a six rebound game.

Hector scored three of its next five points at the free throw line – the Lady Wildcats were 22-of-30 in the game – and led 43-37.

After a Hector basket Swint muscled inside for two and a conventional three point play by Franklin made it a one possession game at 45-42 with 4:56 left.

Linley Garrett completed a basket exchange that took just 15 seconds and it was still a one possession game at 47-44 with 4:30 to go.

The next four Lady Bearcat points came one at a time – the Lady Bearcats were 15-of-23 at the line – but Hector was up 53-48 after two by Franklin.

A three point play with 2:11 to go gave Hector an eight-point lead and the Lady Bearcats got no closer than five the rest of the way, which came on a 3 by Swint – the only 3 of the night for the Lady Bearcats that made it 58-53.

The Lady Bearcats (1-1) will travel to Mansfield on Monday when both the girls and boys are scheduled to be in action.

The Bearcats did not play in Hector due to the Wildcats playing football on Friday night.