Lady Champions fall apart in 2nd half

A back-and-forth contest in the middle stages eventually had a lopsided result as Middle Tennessee Christian scored 11 unanswered points to close out the third quarter and cruised to a 58-42 victory over host Cascade in District 9-A play Monday night.

After one of their most impressive stretches of the season to capture the lead in the third quarter, the Lady Champions (12-5, 5-3 9-A) played poorly late in the game, going 6:04 between made field goals in the fourth quarter.

"We got down. We couldn't get steals. We missed free throws. We just couldn't get back into the game," Cascade coach Chad Spencer said.

Kate Mullins put the Lady Cougars (13-5, 5-3) on her back and calmly drained 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch and netted seven of her squad's eight fourth-quarter points.

"We just can't stop the dribbler," Spencer said. "Whoever had the ball, whether it was (Sara Sims) or (Mullins), they were just driving the ball in the lane on us and getting baskets. We weren't sliding over and giving any help."

Mullins finished 10 of 11 at the foul line en route to a game-high 24 points. Alex Martin followed with 16 points. Madison Hall had 10.

M.K. Potts paced the Lady Champs with 17 points. Jessica Popp chipped in 10.

MTC led the entire first quarter and carried a 16-9 advantage into the second period.

"We got ourselves in a big, big hole early," Spencer said.

Cascade fell behind by 10 before a Tiffani Grogan basket capped a 12-2 scoring run to knot the game at 21-all with 3:17 left in the first half.

The Lady Cougars forged ahead twice more as halftime drew near, but it was the Lady Champs scoring four straight points, including a putback by Potts with 7 ticks on the clock, to go into the midway point up 27-25.

Popp got a basket to fall to put the hosts up 34-32 with 4:11 to go in the third quarter, but it was their final lead of the game.

The advtange changed hands for the seventh and final time when Martin sank a 3-pointer at the 3:06 mark of the third.

Cascade tries to avenge an early-season loss when it battles visiting Moore County in another district contest tonight at 6.