LADY BEARCATS SEE GAME GET AWAY IN THIRD QUARTER

A 14-point third quarter swing put the Booneville Lady Bearcats in a hole from which they could not recover in a 57-46 District 3A-4 semifinals against the tournament hosts in Paris Thursday night.

The Lady Bearcats (17-6) who had twice beaten Paris in the regular season, led 27-20 after a Karmen Kent basket just 24 seconds into the second half but the Lady Eagles went on a 9-0 run to take their first lead since an 8-0 run after the Lady Bearcats had scored the first basket of the night.

Leigh Swint hit a 3 to give the Lady Bearcats the lead back at 30-29 but Paris scored the next seven to open a 36-30 lead with 1:59 left in the quarter.

The lead reached nine but Swint, who scored 13, got a rebound putback to fall just before the third quarter expired to cut it to 42-35 with a quarter to play.

To start the fourth quarter Paris scored six straight, then three more after a Carah Miller free throw pushed the lead to a game high 50-36.

Single free throws by Kent and Miller, who scored 11, along with baskets by Franklin and Swint cut it to 50-42 with 4:03 remaining.

But the Lady Bearcats did not score again until the 1:11 mark of the quarter and that basket, by Linley Garrett, cut the lead back to 10, 54-44.

A pair of free throws by Swint would finish the scoring.

Early on head coach Tim Goers went with a big lineup with Garrett (shown) starting in place of Layla Byrum and it worked on the glass as the Lady Bearcats enjoyed a 24-11 first half rebound lead.

After a Swint basket started the scoring, Paris scored eight unanswered but the Lady Bearcats responded with 10 straight of their own capped by a 3 by Byrum, who also had a steal on her first defensive possession of the game.

The Lady Bearcats led the entire second quarter as Miller scored inside three times, the final time to make it 22-19 – Paris had gotten to within one with a possession but could not go in front.

After Paris cut it to 22-20 a Franklin basket and a free throw from Garrett gave the Lady Bearcats a 25-20 halftime edge.

With the loss the Lady Bearcats will be the three seed from the 3A-4 in the Class 3A Region 1 tournament in West Fork next week and will play at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 23 against the two seed from the 3A-1. The finals of the 3A-1 tournament are set for Saturday.