Kilgore Lady Bulldogs Rally in Second Half to Earn 41-35 Win At Chapel Hill
NEW CHAPEL HILL -- The District 16-3A leading Kilgore Lady Bulldogs had to come from behind to capture a win in their regular-season finale.
Tony Burks scored 15 points and added eight rebounds, four steals and three assists to lead Kilgore (21-8, 10-1) to a 41-35 win victory at Chapel Hill, rallying from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter. Kilgore will face Bullard on Friday to determine the district's No. 1 seed for the playoffs, while Chapel Hill (21-12, 7-5) will enter the 3A playoffs as the district's fourth seed.
Kilgore made just two field goals and were just 6-of-15 from the foul line in the first half, entering halftime with a 17-10 deficit. Chapel Hill swelled its lead to 25-14 midway through the third quarter, but Kilgore closed the period on a 14-2 run to begin the fourth with a 28-27 lead.
Mikayla Thomas added nine points and eight rebounds, Annie Mehringer had eight points, five assists and four steals and MarShalia Lollie finished with six points and eight boards in the winning effort. All of Mehringer and Lollie's points came in the second half.
Chapel Hill was led by Kadeja Warfield's 12 points. Dai-Jashnae Maddox added seven points and five rebounds, Shay Ross contributed six points and six boards and Kyia Moore chipped in with six points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Gabby Brooks registered a team-high 12 rebounds in defeat.
Despite Kilgore's first-half struggles from the field, Chapel Hill wasn't much better and could only muster a seven-point halftime lead. Chapel Hill began to heat it up in the third quarter and went up by 11 points with 4:07 remaining in the period on consecutive 3-pointers by Warfield and Maddox.
That's when Kilgore took over. Mehringer scored three consecutive baskets, which was followed by a Burks layup off a steal that capped an 8-0 run and cut Chapel Hill's lead to 25-22. After a Kyia Moore bucket at the other end, Kilgore scored the next six points, highlighted by Burks' runner as the third-quarter buzzer sounded that gave Kilgore its first lead since the opening minute of the game.
Kilgore got back-to-back baskets from Burks to build a 35-29 lead in the fourth, and it was able to hang on thanks to a dreadful 3-of-10 free-throw shooting display by Chapel Hill down the stretch.
Neither team shot the ball well from the charity stripe as the two combined to go 14-of-49 from the line.
Kilgore 41, Chapel Hill 35
District 16-3A Girls Basketball
Kilgore 4 6 18 13 -- 41
Chapel Hill 6 11 10 8 -- 35
KILGORE (21-8, 10-1) -- Tony Burks, 15; Mikayla Thomas, 9, Annie Mehringer, 8; MarShalia Lollie, 6; Ashley Clinton, 3.
CHAPEL HILL (21-12, 7-5) -- Kadeja Warfield, 12; Dai-Jashnae Maddox, 7; Kyia Moore, 6; Shay Ross, 6; Gabby Brooks, 2; Schuyler Wages, 2.
THREE-POINT GOALS -- Chapel Hill: Maddox (2), Warfield (2).