Red Bank girls move past Sweetwater
When her team’s double-digit lead disappeared, Layla Babb decided it was time to get aggressive.
Midway through the third quarter Red Bank’s junior guard began to assert herself, sparking a 20-6 run that led to a 67-47 Region 3-AA quarterfinal win over visiting Sweetwater on Friday night.
After failing to score in the first half, Babb reeled off 11 straight points for the Lady Lions and finished with 16 as one of four Red Bank players scoring in double figures.
“My shot wasn’t falling like I wanted it to, so I just decided to start taking the ball inside, drive it and score,” Babb said. “Once I did that the points just started coming naturally. I wasn’t really forcing anything.
“Our motto this year is ‘Believe.’ Nobody else really believes in us — we know everybody doubts us because
our program hasn’t won much in a while — but that just motivates us and pushes us harder.”
It was Red Bank’s first region win in five years. The Lady Lions (19-10) will take on Sequoyah in Monday’s region semifinals at McMinn County. Red Bank was the only team from District 6 to advance Friday.
Sweetwater jumped out to an 11-4 lead midway through the first quarter, but Red Bank’s Haley Claiborne made a 3-pointer, then a steal and layup as part of a 7-0 spurt. The Lady Lions then opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run and held an eightpoint halftime advantage that grew to 10 in the opening seconds of the second half. But the Lady Wildcats chipped away at the deficit, eventually tying the game with 23 seconds left in the third quarter, before Red Bank set off on its game-deciding scoring spree for its eighth win in the last 10 games.
“You could see the confidence growing as the second half went on,” said Lady Lions coach Bailey McGinnis. “It’s been something special to watch this team grow. They’re playing so well together right now, and a win like this, a region win, should do a lot for their confidence.
“And I’ve known since her freshman year that Layla had it in her to take over games. She did that tonight when we needed her.”
Mya Kennebrew also finished with 16 points, while Shelby Romans added 13 and Haley Claiborne had 12. Taylor Hurst scored 16 for Sweetwater.