STAFF REPORT
COLUMBIA — In the regular season finale, Columbia Central made just a few more second-half plays as the Lady Lions escaped with a 38-36 win over Shelbyville Central.
It was slow out of the gates for both teams, with Shelbyville leading 6-2 after the first frame.
Paige Blackburn and Sammie Brown each connected on 3-pointers, while Columbia’s Kiyanah Edwards made the only basket for the home team.
As a team, the Lady Lions went just 1-for-11 from the floor in the first.
Eventually, Columbia was able to stabilize its offense and Tionna Davis rallied for eight second-quarter points.
Blackburn and Brown each added five points and by halftime, the game was tied at 17.
The hard-fought effort continued into the second half, with just one point separating the teams by the end of the third.
Blackburn added six points to lead the Eaglettes in the third on 3-for-5 shooting in the quarter.
That same scenario played out in the fourth as Columbia held on for a one-point advantage to escape with the two-point win.
Blackburn led all scorers with 14 points, while Brown added eight.
The Eaglettes host Spring Hill on Monday night in the District 9-4A opener.
Shelbyville 6 11 11 8 — 36
Columbia 2 15 12 9 — 38
Shelbyville: Paige Blackburn 14, Sammie Brown 8, Lanaya Young 6, Morgan Pridmore 5, Lilly Brown 3.
Columbia: Tionna Davis 12, Anaya Mulholland 9, Saviya Morgan 8, Kayla Crawford 5, Brooklyn Duke 2, Kiyanah Edwards 2.
3-Point goals: Shelbyville (4): Blackburn 2, S. Brown 2; Columbia (4): Mulholland 3, Crawford.
Halftime score: Shelbyville 17, Columbia 17.
