LADY BEARCATS TAKE OUT REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS AGAIN, REACH CHAMPIONSIP

Cossatot River may not ever want to see the Lady Bearcats again.

After surviving a three point game with the Lady Bearcats on February 1, the Lady Bearcats took a 10-point win in Booneville eight days later, and, another six days later were handed a 54-40 loss in the Cconference 3A-4 tournament semifinals.

A 3 pointer broke an early tie at 2 for Cossatot – the Lady Eagles did not have a single 3 in Booneville on February 9 – and Cossatot led the rest of the quarter, though it was a less than stable 11-10 when the teams went to their benches.

Tempi Terry was responsible for six of the first quarter points for the Lady Bearcats.

The Lady Eagles continued to lead until Linley Garrett took a pass from Lexi Franklin and hit a 3 for a 17-15 lead.

Garrett hit four more from beyond the arc and finished with 16 points while Franklin had eight assists, seven steals (shown after one of them), and would score a game-high 25 points – giving the cousins 41 points.

Cossatot went back in front on the free throw end of a conventional three point play but was shut out for the final 3:16 of the half.

Meanwhile Franklin took over with seven straight points for a 24-18 lead.

Cossatot started the second half with a 3 but Terry scored inside, Baylee Parnell threw in a 3 and Franklin scored for a 31-21 lead.

The Lady Eagles cut it to seven with a 3 but Garrett answered and by the end of the quarter it was a 37-24 advantage.

Franklin hit a 3 to start the final quarter and the lead was between 16 and 21 the rest of the night until a too-little-too-late 8-0 run by the regular season champions cut it to 13 with under a minute to go.

The Lady Bearcats move into the finals to face Paris, who has survived Hackett in the 6-7 seed game, toppled 3 seed Two Rivers, then ran away from 2 seed Charleston in the second semifinal game last night.

The Lady Bearcats swept the season series winning by six and eight.

The winner will be the one seed in the Class 3A Region 1 tournament and open the tournament on Wednesday against Elkins. The runner-up will play at 7 p.m. on Thursday against Lincoln.