PREP BASKETBALL: Lady Warriors top Hamilton 72-43 to win back to back 5A, Area 14 tournament titles

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West Point defeated Hamilton 72-43 Thursday night to capture back to back area tournament championships. (Bill Piper for The Cullman Tribune)

WEST POINT, Ala. – West point was aiming for back to bac Class 5A, Area 14 championships Thursday night when they took on Hamilton in a rematch of last year’s title game and the Lady Warriors easily took care of business. West Point pulled away to win the 72-43 and take home another area tournament title and they’ll return home to host a sub-regional game Monday night against East Limestone.

Both teams traded baskets to start out the contest before a Lexi Shadix basket gave West Point a 7-5 lead early in the first period and a Miriam Oldacre three pushed the lead to 12-8 with less than three minutes to go in the quarter. Late baskets from Miriam Oldacre and Molly Pendley gave the Lady Warriors a 16-9 advantage and they went into the second quarter up by seven.

An and-one by Miriam Oldacre stretched West Point’s lead to 21-11 early in the second period and after Hamilton made it 21-13 on a basket, the Lady Warriors scored 10 straight points and they were all scored by the trio of Pendley, Shadix and Mackenzie Carter, stretching the lead to 31-13 late in the quarter. Another Carter basket in the paint made the score 37-20 at the intermission.

A Micah Oldacre trey made it 41-20 early in the third period. After a Hamilton and-one cut the West Point lead to 44-26, the Lady Warriors went on another huge run as the trio of Pendley, Shadix and Carter scored 13 of the next 16 points and Sheridan Bowers added a trey during the run as well to give West Point a 60-31 lead at the start of the final period.

The scoring slowed down a little for West Point (27-5) as the bench played for some of the final quarter, but the Lady Warriors pulled away to win it 72-43 and claim the area tournament championship in the process. West Point has now won 14 straight games.

Carter was one of four West Point players to finish in double-figures as she finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, a steal and four blocks. Shadix (four rebounds, two steals and two blocks) and Miriam Oldacre (nine rebounds and eight steals) each added 13 points and Pendley posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and a block.

The Lady Warriors will face East Limestone in the sub-regional round at home Monday night at 7.

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