The DCHS Lady Tigers basketball team defeated Central Magnet in Smithville Friday night in a 40-38 battle.

DeKalb County held a scant 11 to 10 lead at the end of the furious first period, but CM squeezed by in a 9-7 second period to take the half-time lead 19-18.

Central Magnet scored 12 more points in the third, while the Lady Tigers managed only nine. The final period began with DeKalb trailing 31-27.

The Lady Tigers came alive in the fourth, however, scoring 13 points and holding CM to seven. The game went down to the wire, with Ashli Chew drawing a foul in the final seconds of a 38-38 game. Chew put both shots in, and Morgan Pedigo grabbed the ball and kept it away from Central Magnet while the remaining two seconds ticked off the clock for the 40-38 win.

Chew led the Lady Tiger offense with 17 points. She went 9-for-10 from the foul line and hit four two pointers.

Morgan Pedigo contributed 12 points on four three-pointers, and Joni Robinson scored six points on two three-point shots. Jailyn Bolding added five points to the DeKalb effort.

DeKalb’s luck was not as good in another barnburner in Smith County on Jan. 11, losing a 62-59 game in overtime to the Lady Owls.

DCHS led 16-14 after a tight first period, and extended their lead to 28-20 by halftime after a 12-7 second period. Smith was allowed to outscore the Lady Tigers 14-10 in the third, however, and the Lady Owls tightened the score up to 38-34 at the end third period.

Smith outpaced DeKalb 17-13 in the fourth, tying the score at 51-up at the end of regulation play. Smith County scored 11 overtime points, while the Lady Tigers put in only eight, and the Lady Owls took a hard-earned 62-59 win.

Chew again led the offense with 33 points, sinking 11 two-pointers and going 11-for-15 from the line. Pedigo put 12 points in on four three-pointers, while Jailyn Bolding scored 10, going 4-for-6. Madison Parsley added four.

The ladies enjoyed a decisive 56-31 win at Boyd Christian on Jan. 5.

DeKalb jumped out to an early lead, outscoring Boyd 18-7 in the first period, then 17-2 in the second. The Lady tigers went into the locker room at the half with a comfortable 35-9 lead.

DCHS added 11 more points to the board in the third, while Boyd managed eight. With a 46-17 lead going into the fourth, DeKalb allowed Boyd to outscore them 14-10, bringing the final to 56-31.

Chew scored 12 points in the game, going 2-for-4. Robinson scored 11, Morgan Pedigo put in eight, and Bolding added seven. Abby Evans put six points in for the Lady Tigers, while Macy Hedge scored five, Hannah Panter helped out with three and Lydia Brown and Madison Parsley added two each.

DeKalb County faced Cannon County Tuesday night at home, and will host Upperman on Jan 22. More on these games in next week’s Review.