Webb girls take down Battle Ground Academy to win region

For the 13th time in program history, the Webb girls basketball team is Division II-A East Middle region champions.

The Lady Spartans got off to a slow start, but as Casey Collier got going, so did they. The sophomore scored a game-high 21 points to lead Webb to a 47-38 victory over Battle Ground Academy on Saturday.

"We really started attacking in transition," Webb coach Shelley Collier said. "I thought Casey really took off and attacked to get some easy baskets. We put a lot of pressure on them with our defense and it created some offense for us."

Webb trailed the Lady Wildcats 9-8 after the first quarter, but proceeded to outscore them 23-13 in the second period to take the lead for good. Defense preserved that lead, especially in the fourth quarter, where the Lady Spartans held BGA to just five points.

Webb will wait to see where it is seeded for the Division II BlueCross Basketball Championships, which begin on March 2 inside Lipscomb University's Allen Arena. Until then, the Lady Spartans will enjoy their latest trophy.

"I never take winning for granted," Collier said. "Every time you step on the court, you're competing to win, and we've been blessed to have the culture we have. The kids have bought into the team and they understand the expectation, which is to try and win championships when we have the opportunity."

Fulton 48, Carter 27: A strong defensive outing propelled Fulton to a berth in the District 3-AA tournament title game.

The Lady Falcons limited Carter to six points or less in each of the first three quarters, scoring more points in the first half (30) than the Lady Hornets did in the game.

Fulton will face Gatlinburg-Pittman, a 70-47 winner over Austin-East, at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Austin-East.

Keke McKinney scored a game-high 17 points for Fulton, while Laylay Manning added 10.

Grainger 66, Cumberland Gap 38: Haley Crowe drained five 3-pointers as part of a 22-point performance to lead Grainger to a semifinal victory over Cumberland Gap in the District 2-AA tournament. The Grizzlies will face Greeneville, a 70-65 winner over Chuckey-Doak 70-65, in the title game at 7:30 p.m. Monday.