Lady Tigers win 2nd in district, earn first playoff trip in 9 years

Troup head coach Cherry Downs high-fives a player at the beginning of the Lady Tigers' victory over Garrison Tuesday night. The win gave the Troup girls sole possession of second place in district and their first playoff appearance in nine years.

The Troup Lady Tigers outfought the Garrison Lady Bulldogs Tuesday night to win second place in district.

Garrison ended up third, with the Tatum Eagles earning the district's top spot. At press time, Troup was scheduled to play Monday or Tuesday in Palestine, though their first-round opponent was not yet know.

"This was a tough game. We played as a team and our young players stepped up," said senior Abby Darden. "It all came together and we accomplished our goal and didn't sneak in at third place."

Troup trailed most of the first half before tying the score early in the third quarter, thanks to aggressive defense by Shunacee Stewart.

Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Alysha Barton nailed a three-point shot with less than a minute-and-a-half that gave the Lady Tigers a 30-29 lead. The girls held on for a 34-32 victory.

Photo/Charlotte Smith Troup's Shunacee Stewart applies defensive pressure on the Lady Bulldogs. Both teams played scrappy defense as they battled for second place in District 19-2A.

"Garrison is a very scrappy team," said Coach Cherr y Downs. "I told them at halftime, 'they're going to go for everything, so we have to go for everything.'"

"We're very excited," she added. "We've improved and are playing smart and working together."

The Lady Cats claimed second in district with a 10-4 record. Pictured, left to right, are (front) Ericka Taylor, Brittani Toole, Kayla Mason, Lauren Clarida, Jordan Knight, (back) Alicia Cordova, Shelly Williams, Mrs. Hill and Coach Willie Hill, and Caroline Perrier.