HANCEVILLE, Ala.- The Vinemont Lady Eagles, on the cusp of their first Elite Eight appearance since 1995, met defending 3A State Champion Lauderdale Co. Lady Tigers on Wednesday afternoon at Tom Drake Coliseum. The Lady Tigers got off to a hot start, but Vinemont stormed back to take the lead before halftime. After trading scoring runs, Lauderdale Co. would hang on to win a 47-45 thriller, ending Vinemont’s spectacular season that saw them win their area for the first time in two decades.
A slow start fueled by forced shots, turnovers and stifling perimeter defense put the Lady Eagles in 17-6 a hole in the first quarter. It’s a situation Vinemont has been in often this season, and they responded in true Lady Eagle fashion.
After an Ansley Shelton driving layup put Lauderdale up 11 just seconds into the second, Addison Holcomb finished through contact to light the fuse for a Lady Eagle offensive explosion. Reagan Robinson forced turnovers, hit jumpers and made free throws and Caroline Miller and Arleigh Thomason drained threes in what would end as a 19-2 Vinemont run to put them ahead 26-20 heading into halftime.
The Lady Tigers, coming out of the break, would counter with a 10-0 opening run where Vinemont struggled to get their feet back under them, with forced and unforced turnovers stunting their offense as well as Robinson struggling to get shots to fall. Tiger guard Madison Mobley, who went into the half with two points, would start her second half-heater with a pair of layups and center Emory Owens wore down the interior, fighting her way to a pair of buckets. Trailing 30-26, Vinemont found a spark from Thomason, who nailed a three from the top of the key, then stole a pass which led to Vayda Yarbrough getting to the line to tie it up at 30. Owens and Robinson traded buckets, then Mobley put in a layup at the buzzer to give the Tigers a slight 34-32 lead heading into the final frame.
Mobley stayed hot, nailing a corner three to open the fourth, then hit another after a pair of Robinson free throw makes, threatening to run away with the win. With the season on the line, Yarbrough stepped up for the Lady Eagles with Robinson and Miller struggling. She’d drain a three from the top of the arc then hit a layup on the next possession to make it just a 40-39 deficit. The Tigers grabbed momentum back with a short jumper from Ansley Shelton, then Mobley would drain yet another three to stretch the lead. Robinson shook off her shooting struggles and tied it up with a pair of driving layups, but after a Mobley mid-range jumper, the Eagles were unable to get one last shot to fall, sealing a 47-45 Lauderdale Co. win.
Robinson, despite shooting 6-21, led Vinemont with 19 points, grabbed eight boards, recorded four assists and stole nine passes. Holcomb scored nine, nearly notching a double-double alongside her ten rebounds.
