GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma girls’ basketball team, since logging its second loss of the season, has started to stack good wins together. On Dec. 5, they extended their win streak to two games after defeating Lincoln County High School by a score of 36-34.

The Lady Wildcats in this game locked down defensively. They held the Lady Falcons to their second-lowest team point total of the year. Through the contest, their defensive prowess stood out, but especially in the second and third quarters. Over these 16 minutes, they held the Lady Falcons to just 11 points.

“It starts with preparation in practice, watching film, and knowing the scout. Then it’s all about being connected and committed to give max effort for 32 minutes,” said Head Coach Chad Hibdon on what leads to defensive stretches like the following from the ‘Cats.

With this, Tullahoma did enough on the offensive end to gain a lead of 31-24 going into the fourth quarter, where they then were able to hold on for a two-point win. The main contributors for the ‘Cats offensively in this game were senior guard Aubrey North and freshman forward Gena Hickerson. The two combined for 20 of Tullahoma’s 36 points–Hickerson with 11 and North with nine.

North in the game did all her damage from long range, scoring three threes. North being able to knock down these shots beyond the perimeter at a healthy clip helps the Lady Wildcats tremendously. Throughout their roster, Tullahoma has great paint scorers, including senior McLayne Bobo and the leading scorer from Tullahoma in this game, Hickerson. Their ability to score in the paint, flanked by good perimeter shooters, puts opposing teams in some tough situations.

Hickerson’s points in this contest came mainly from the opening quarter, where she scored seven of the team’s 13 points in the period. The first-year player for Tullahoma, who was the star last year for the East Middle School girls’ basketball team, continues to show she can be a real piece in the Lady Wildcat being a competitive team for years to come.

“Gena just makes plays! She has a high basketball IQ and is very coachable. Those traits are very important to helping teams be successful,” said Hibdon regarding Henderson.

The Lady Wildcats, along with the boys’ team, will play one game on the road and one game at home this week. On Dec. 9, they will play a 4-1 Brentwood Academy team, and on Dec. 12, they will play Mercy High School at home, who will be traveling to play them from the state of Kentucky.