HOLLY POND – Having to come on the road for a Class 3A Sub-Regional after they were stunned at home in the area title game to No. 2 Lauderdale County, top-ranked Madison Academy got after it right away and stormed the Holly Pond Lady Broncos 68-29 at Felton Easterwood Gymnasium.
With four field goals coming from 3-point land in the opening period, Madison Academy blitzed the basket and led 22-8 after the first 8:00.
The Lady Mustangs shut down Holly Pond's primary target Ruth Horton, kept the Lady Broncos without a FG for 3:00, having the game the way they wanted to control the tempo.
Madison Academy's sixth trey of the half came with 5:29 left in the second as they extended the advantage to 29-13. They would go to the locker room with a 35-17 lead, allowing Holly Pond five first-half field goals while the Lady Mustang offense had 13 baskets, six from beyond the 3-point circle.
A 20-3 advantage in the third period gave the visitors a comfortable 55-20 lead with one quarter left. All starters were off the floor for Madison Academy with under 4:00 remaining.
For the night, the Lady Mustangs scored 44 points on 22 field goals, six treys for 18 points and were six of eight from the line for 75 percent. They had four hit double figures, led by Dee McGhee with 16, seven field goals in the second half, including four in a row in the third quarter. Meri Wheeler added 15, Dinayna Calvert netted 14 and Jadin Langford 11.
Madison Academy is now 27-5 and will play the winner of the Lexington-Oakman game in the Northwest Regional Saturday at 9 a.m. at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum.
Melissa Clingman hit eight in her final game for the Lady Broncos. Haley Higginbotham and Horton scored six, Taylor Tankersley four, Kolby Holcombe three and Lauren Camp two.
The Lady Broncos accounted for 10 total field goals, three from 3-point range, but shot just six of 13 at the line for 48 percent. Holly Pond completes another good season with 20 victories against 11 losses. They were 9-3 during the season playing at Easterwood Gymnasium.
