Lindale advances, edges Lady Bulldogs, 54-52
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL/ UIL CLASS 4A BI-DISTRICT PLAYOFFS
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

If they had managed to defeat Lindale on Tuesday night at Floyd Wagstaff Gymnasium on the Tyler Junior College campus, the Kilgore High School Lady Bulldogs would have gotten to face No. 1-ranked Frisco this weekend.

The Lady 'Dogs can only wonder how that game would have turned out, because Lindale escaped Tuesday's UIL Class 4A bidistrict playoff game with a 54-52 win over Kilgore.

The first postseason game in three years didn't start off well for the Lady Bulldogs. Lindale was up 11-5 after the first period and led 23-16 at the half. But, as they had done all season long, Kilgore fought back, and almost pulled it out. Senior Tai'Shea Reese had the ball in her hands as the final five seconds ticked off the clock, and got a shot off - but it hit the back of the goal and bounced off, as time expired. Lindale's Emily Johnson hit a free throw with right at five seconds left that had put the Lady Eagles in front by two, the way the game wound end.

Kilgore was led by Ashia Kelly, who had 15 points, and Reese, who had 12. Shae Morgan and Troylisha Orange each had eight points - Morgan hit two three-point shots, as did Orange. All four of them, however, are seniors, meaning a little bit of a rebuilding project may be about to begin for coach Davia Garrett, as the team will enter a new district lineup next year. Lindale, by the way, will be in that district. Garrett is assisted by Jerry Reddic and Lacey Thompson.

Andrea Ashley scored six points for Kilgore. LaDoris Conrod had two, and Raven Wiley had one on a free throw.

Whitney Binder led the Lady Eagles with 22 points, and also had 13 rebounds. Madison Killingsworth had 17 points.