Marlie Townley had a big night for the Lady Tigers. Playing host to the Lady Trojans of North Hall on Friday, Townley scored in the final minute of the 4^th quarter to give her team the lead. The points were her 13^th and 14^th of the game on a night where she also collected her 500^th career rebound. She totaled 10 rebounds on the night. Also contributing to the win were three other Lady Tigers that scored in double figures. Kirklyn Porter also scored 14 points, while Mariah Benson had 12 points and 10 boards. Sophia D’Oliveira had a triple-double, with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Sophia D’Oliveira advancing the ball up the floor.

Dawson County opened the game with an 8-2 run to jump out to an early lead. Combine that with their 11-3 run in the middle of the quarter, which gave them a 25-13 lead after the first period of play.

The Lady Tigers opened up the second quarter strong as well, with a 9-3 run to get their lead to nearly 20. However, North Hall chipped away at the lead as Dawson’s girls got into foul trouble. The Lady Trojans scored the final nine points of the quarter, seven of which were from the charity stripe. This cut the lead down to 36-28 to go into the locker room at halftime.

At halftime, the 2019 Dawson County Boys’ team was celebrated. They went 27-5 last year, won the region 7-3A tournament, and made it to the final four. Jasper Gibson’s 1500^th career point was also honored during the break.

The 3^rd quarter was a low-scoring battle. Late in the period, the Lady Trojans’ tied the game at 39. However, Dawson County responded with back to back threes to take a 45-39 lead into the final quarter.

To start the fourth, North Hall quickly scored 8 straight points to take the lead and force a Dawson County timeout.

Madison Anglin shoots the free throw.

The Lady Tigers fought back with two straight buckets to regain their lead. The rest of the game was a battle, with the Lady Trojans hitting a three with 23 seconds remaining to take a one-point lead. On the ensuing possession, D’Oliveira was fouled and headed to the line for a one-and-one attempt. She missed the free throw, but gathered her own rebound. They worked the ball around and got it into the hands of Townley, who hit a lay-up to retake the lead. The Lady Tigers got the stop, and D’Oliveira headed back to the line. She sealed the game with two free throws. Dawson County won 57-54.

The Lady Tigers have a quick turnaround, as they play at home tomorrow at 6:30 P.M. against White County.