Brosley MO - An old sports adage is "defense wins championships".  No where was this more apparent than at the Twin Rivers Lady Royals Christmas Tournament this year.  The Lady Cats allowed an average if 21.3 points per game in route to their second straight title. 

Saturday nights game with Neelyville started a little different than the first three had.  The Lady Tigers, without the services of senior leader Kayla Maupin, played an aggressive defense  which the Lady Cats some problems early on. 

The teams traded baskets before Paige Patterson (13 points)  and Mollie Whitehead made free throws to give the Cats a 6 -3 lead.  Brittany Harris (10 points and an all tournament selection) made two baskets to open the lead to 7 and after an assist by Alison Jarrell (17 points) Katelynn Frazier (all tournament team selection) had two baskets to open the lead to 14-3. After a basket by Erika Cobb (the third of the Dexter all tournament team members) the Lady Cats had a 16-7 first quarter lead.

The Lady Cats really blew the game open with a 30 point second quarter.  Three pointers by Noe and Jarrell, and baskets by Harris, Patterson, Cobb and Whitehead opened up the 46-14 halftime lead.  Much of the offense was created by great man to man defense which created a number of Neelyville turnovers.

With the game well in hand Erika Cobb had two baskets and Paige Patterson had one to open the second half.  Alison Jarrell had a couple of free throws and Dakota Reynolds had a nifty spin move drive to the basket.  Patterson and Whitehead had baskets to make the third quarter score 63-22 entering the fourth quarter.

With a running clock for the fourth time in four games of the tournament, the Lady Cats substituted often with Alison Jarrell making two 3's and a basket by Harris, gave the Cats the win at a score of 71-32.

The Lady Cats, now with a 10-1 record, have the Christmas break off until January 3rd where they will face the Farmington Knightets, which they will host at the BEC starting at 6 on that Thursday night.

---