LADY BEARCATS FALL IN OVERTIME

For a brief moment Friday it appeared the Booneville Lady Bearcats had weathered a storm and were ready to nail down a conference tournament title.

Paris, however, would complete a four game run in the tournament with a 55-51 overtime decision to drop the Lady Bearcats into the two seed in next week’s Class 3A Region 1 tournament, which will be played in Bearcat Gym.

Paris had led since the halftime break half until the Lady Bearcats ran off seven in a row, the last two on free throws from Lexi Franklin for a 34-33 lead with 3:35 to play in the quarter.

But Paris answered with nine straight of their own, before Franklin again hit a pair of free throws to finally end the run and make it 42-36.

The Lady Bearcats (14-14) had led momentarily in each quarter but would not in the final quarter as Paris opted to limit opportunities by burning through the shot clock with each possession.

It was a 47-42 lead after a Paris free throw with 4:23 to play but the strategy almost backfired.

With 57 seconds to go Tempi Terry scored inside to make it 47-46 and after a play stoppage foul netted one point for the Lady Eagles JJ Keatts found Terry alone underneath for a game tying basket with nine seconds to go.

Fouled twice in seven seconds Terry, who scored 16 points and had 16 rebounds, converted three of four free throws to give the Lady Bearcats a 51-50 lead with 2:43 left in overtime but the Lady Eagles again responded, scoring the last five points of the night.

Terry, who had twice this season been dominant against Paris, became the focal point for the Lady Bearcats over the final minute of regulation and overtime because Franklin had been whistled for her fifth foul with 1:03 to play.

Before exiting Franklin had another highlight reel game with 22 points, including nine in the second quarter, the final of which gave the lady Bearcats a 22-21 lead before Paris scored the final five points of the half.

As the two seed in the regional tournament the Lady Bearcats will face Conference 3A-1 third seeded Lincoln at 7 p.m. Thursday.