Published: 10:30 PM, Wed Feb 20, 2013
Mid-South girls' basketball: Seventy-First, Jack Britt survive semifinals
Seventy-First and Jack Britt, the top two seeds in the girls' Mid-South conference tournament, survived scares by their semifinal opponents Wednesday night to advance to the final.
The two teams will meet Friday at 7 p.m. at Seventy-First to decide the tournament champion.
Seventy-First has won both of the teams' meetings this season.
The top-seeded Falcons (24-0) overcame a late lead by No. 4 seed E.E. Smith (9-12) to win 61-56.
Seventy-First held a 44-39 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Bulls started the final frame with an 8-0 run to take a 47-44 lead.
The Falcons countered that attack by pushing the ball inside to forward Kelsey Bradley, who's 6-foot frame gave the junior the advantage over the Bulls frontcourt.
Bradley scored seven of the Falcons' 17 fourth-quarter points before exiting with two minutes to go with a dislocated shoulder. She finished the night with 13 points.
"Us wanting to take the ball in to the basket and taking care of the ball made the difference in the fourth quarter," Bradley said.
Senior Marcianna Munn put the Falcons ahead for the final time with a 3-point goal for 57-54 lead.
The shot was one of four 3-pointers by Munn, who led all scorers with 23 points.
Britt advances
Britt (18-5), the second seed, distanced itself in the second half from No. 3 South View (19-6) after being locked in a 22-all tie at the half.
The Buccaneers outscored the Tigers 15-6 in third period, including a seven-point performance from freshman forward Cierra Nixon.
Nixon, who led the Bucs with 14 points, said her series of fast-break layups in the third was part of a goal she set for herself before the start of the game.
"My personal goal was to run the floor tonight," Nixon said. "My team goal was to communicate and look up the floor. We talked about it, and we did it."
The Bucs win came despite a game-high 19 points from South View's Chinyere Bell.
Staff writer Jaclyn Shambaugh can be reached at 609-0651 or shambaughj@fayobserver.com.