Trammell steps up in Bergman victory
LAMAR — With the game and season on the line Tuesday, Bergman junior Ruby Trammell wanted to step up for her teammates in the final quarter. She did so in a big way at Warrior Arena.
Trammell scored a teamhigh eight fourth-quarter points. That helped the defending state champions survive and advance with a 61-52 victory against Jessieville in a first-round matchup at the Class 3A state tournament.
The forward finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and a block. Trammell ended the first quarter without scoring but picked up her pace when it mattered most late.
“I can’t do this without my team,” Trammell said. “They helped me out when I was struggling early in the game. I knew it was my time to step up because they always are helping me.”
Bergman (35-4) held a 41-40 edge entering the final quarter but closed out the win with efficiency. The Lady Panthers made 6 of 11 field goals and drilled 6 of 7 free-throws.
“It was a good time for that,” Bergman Coach James Halitzka said with a laugh. “They were aggressive getting to the free-throw line. I thought Ruby did a great job with that. We made the most of our chances.”
Trammell’s three-point play put Bergman up 55-46 in the final quarter, and they didn’t look back.
It was a balanced effort for the Lady Panthers, who had four players finish with 10 or more points. Maddi Holt (21 points), Trammell (14 points), Kiersten Lowry (12 points) and Madeline Moon (10 points) all had big games.
The contest was tied at 13-13 after a quarter. With the help of a 12-0 run in the second quarter, Bergman was able to take a 27-20 edge into halftime. Jessieville found its groove in the third quarter with a 9-0 run and were down just 41-40 entering the final quarter.
“It wasn’t pretty, but winning is all that matters at this point,” Halitzka said. “We knew challenges like this would come our way. I thought Jessieville played really, really well. We’ll see more tests in the next round.”
Jessieville was led by Payton Futch (21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) and Olivia White (11 points).
MCGEHEE 45, COSSATOT RIVER 30
The Lady Owls (23-4) led from start to finish to advance in a first-round matchup behind a game-high 12 points from Amiah Esaw and 11 points from Cynara Robinson.
The Lady Eagles (23-11) were guided by 10 points each from Hannah McLain and Landrey Richardson.
McGehee took a commanding 19-6 lead after the first quarter and was up 27-17 at halftime. McGehee scored the final eight points of the third frame for a 37-25 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
SALEM 52, HELENA-WEST HELENA 42
In a back-and-forth game, it was Salem with a strong second half that advanced in a first-round matchup.
The Lady Greyhounds (27-4) were guided by Chelsea Hamilton’s gamehigh 22 points to go with 19 points from Marleigh Sellars.
Central (22-7) received a team-high 14 points from Jakyra Jackson and 11 more from Kassidy Truitt.
Central found itself down 11-5 after the first quarter but bounced back to trail 22-21 at halftime. Salem outscored its opponent 30-21 in the second half to pull away.