Lady Dawgs Fetch District 21-3A Championship  

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

 ANDERSON – While it wasn’t their best game of the season, the Crockett Lady Bulldogs did just enough to win and bring home the District 21-3A Championship after their 54-42 defeat of the Anderson-Shiro Lady Owls.

Crockett came out flat in the first quarter and only posted 10 points in the game’s opening eight minutes. Katelin Holmes and Dea’Junique James both put up four points while Mercedes James accounted for the other two.

Fortunately for the Lady Dawgs, the Lady Owls also had trouble getting off the ground and only managed to post seven in the quarter on 2-pointers from Rosalyn Pratt, Mariah Stabler and D’Asia White. Valerie Servando converted one of two from the free throw line to round out the Anderson-Shiro first period scoring.

The cold shooting for the Lady Dawgs continued into the second quarter as Crockett only managed to put up eight and wound up trailing by three at the half.

The Lady Dawgs’ Shelby Corry put up four while Holmes and Jada Lockhart both added two.

On the other side of the court, the Lady Owls dropped in 14 to take a 21-18 lead into the locker room. Pratt paced Anderson-Shiro with seven second quarter points and was joined in the scoring by Christina Vantassel with three as both Porsha Johnson and Kensey Wiggins chipped in two.

Apparently, Crockett Head Coach Cookie Johnson lit a fire under her team during the break because the Lady Dawgs came out of the locker room and torched the Lady Owls for 20 third quarter points. D. James poured in 10 third quarter points while Lockhart had four and both Corry along with Anastasia Bolton knocked down 3-pointers to help the Lady Dawgs recapture the lead.

The Lady Owls managed to hang with the up-tempo Crockett offense and scored 14 in the third period. Both Johnson and Pratt dropped in four while White and Taylor Davis each hit 3-pointers.

The six point third quarter scoring differential gave the Lady Dawgs a 38-35 lead as the teams headed into the final frame. With the district title on the line, Crockett’s defense amped up its game and held Anderson-Shiro to seven points as Stabler knocked down four and White added three.

The Lady Dawgs turned to the likely District 21-3A MVP, D. James, to help close out the game and the junior delivered. James powered her way to 10 points while Lockhart added four and Corry had two to help close out the game, give Crockett the 54-42 win and claim the District-21-3A championship.

For the game the Lady Owls were led in scoring by Rosalyn Pratt with 13 points while D’Asia White had eight. Porsha Johnson and Mariah Stabler both knocked down six, Taylor Davis and Christina Vantassel both had three, Kensey Wiggins added two and Valerie Servando chipped in one.

Crockett was led by Dea’Junique James with a game-high 24 points. She was joined in the scoring column by Jada Lockhart with nine, Shelby Corry with eight, Katelin Holmes with six, Anastasia Bolton with three and Mercedes James with two.

As mentioned earlier, the win gives the lady Bulldogs the outright District 21-3A championship. Crockett will begin its postseason run on Tuesday, Feb. 14 against the Hemphill Lady Hornets for the Bi-District Championship. The game will be held at the Hudson High School Gym and tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].