Defense carries Eaglettes to bi-district crown

The Canton Eaglettes added yet another accomplishment to what has already been a stellar season on the hardwood this week, capitalizing on a shut down defensive effort to top the Paris North Lamar Pantherettes 37-19 in bi-district round action Feb. 12.

First quarter play proved to be anything but crisp offensively as each team struggled to find consistency with a myriad of missed shots and turnovers. Canton managed to get the better of North Lamar in the early going, getting four first quarter points from Hannah Manry to take a slim 6-3 lead after eight minutes.

Canton fared better on the offensive end of the court in the second quarter, scoring 10 points to extend their lead to 16-10 entering the half.

Points from five different players, including six from Mattie Tullos helped the Eaglettes pull away in the third quarter as Canton outscored the Pantherettes 14-6 for a double-digit advantage.

The Eaglettes put the finishing touches on a bi-district round title by outscoring North Lamar 7-3 in the fourth quarter for an 18-point win. 

Hannah Manry helped lead the way offensively for Canton with 14, followed by Mattie Tullos with nine, Olivia Norrell with four, Ashley Wood with three, Kenley Nixon, Kayden Prox and Kyndall Nilius with two each, and Rachel Cade with one.

With their win, the Eaglettes advance to the Area round of the playoffs, taking on the winner of the Kilgore-Henderson bi-district round playoffs Feb. 16. Game specifics such as start time and location were not immediately available as of press time.