The DeKalb County High School Lady Tigers had another tough week, falling in a couple of road games before fighting hard at home against the #2 Lady Bees in front of the hometown crowd on Friday. That game would end in heartbreak.
On Tuesday, January 30, the ladies traveled to Crossville where they would take on the Lady Jets of Cumberland County. The game would be close in the first half, but would fall apart in the third period.
DeKalb scored eight points in the first period, with Avery Agee hitting a pair of three-point baskets, while Chloe VanVranken had a pair of free throws. The Lady Jets stayed with them, also scoring eight.
The Lady Tigers scored nine in the second period, with Ella VanVranken hitting a two and three-point shot and a free throw, while Tess Barton sank a two-pointer of her own. Chloe VanVranken added a free throw point. The Lady Jets scored 13, taking the 21-17 halftime lead.
DeKalb was held scoreless in the third period, while Cumberland pressed on with 14 more points. The Lady Jets were up 35-17.
Ella VanVranken was the only Lady Tiger to get on the board in the fourth, with a pair of two-point shots and three free throws. Cumberland scored eight, taking the 43-24 win.
The following Thursday, the ladies traveled to Livingston where they faced off with the Lady Wildcats. It would be a closer game, but with the same result.
Tess Barton came away with three two-point baskets for the Lady Tigers in the first period, while Allie Melton had one, and Ella VanVranken added a pair of free throw points. The Lady Wildcats scored 15 points.
DeKalb put eight on the board in the second, with Ella VanVranken hitting a couple of two-point shots, Avery Agee a three-pointer, and Barton a free throw. Livingston added 12, going up 27-18 at halftime.
Agee hit a three-pointer for the Lady Tigers in the third, while Melton had a two-pointer. Ella VanVranken added a couple of free throws. The Lady Wildcats put 14 on the board, going up 41-25.
The Lady Tigers surged in the fourth period, scoring 19 points. Agee sank a pair of three-point shots, a two-pointer, and three free throws, while Chloe VanVranken had a three-pointer and three free throw points. Barton also had a couple of free throw points. Livingston was held to 15, but claimed the 56-44 win.
The following night, the Lady Tigers were back on their home court, this time taking on the #2 Upperman Lady Bees. The game would end up being a battle right until the final seconds.
The Lady Tigers scored 10 points in the first period, with Allie Melton and Avery Agee each sinking a three-point basket, and Ella VanVranken hitting a two-pointer and a couple of free throws. The Lady Bees were held to just six points.
DeKalb scored four in the second period, on a two-pointer by Tess Barton and a pair of free throws by Chloe VanVranken. Upperman scored nine, taking the 15-14 halftime lead.
Ella VanVranken got hot in the third period, scoring a three-pointer and three free throw points, while Can Branin got on the board with a two-pointer. The Lady Bees were held to just two points, putting the Lady Tigers back on top, 22-17.
The Lady Tigers scored six points in the fourth with a two-pointer and a couple of free throws by Branin, and a two-point basket by Agee. The Lady Bees would tie the game with just a few second left on the clock and would draw a foul with just .3 seconds left in the game. The free throw would be good and the game would end with a Lady Bees win, 29-28.
