LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
After losing 80 percent of their starting lineup to graduation last year, the Paris Lady Tigers basketball team tipped off their season on Monday, Nov. 13 with a resounding victory over Danville. Hosting the season-opening North American Lighting Thanksgiving Tournament for the seventh straight year, the Tigers also grabbed wins over Charleston and Terre Haute North and will look to claim the tournament title outright with a victory over Champaign Central tonight, Nov. 18.
PARIS 30, TERRE HAUTE NORTH 25
As explosive as the Paris Lady Tiger offense was through the first two games of the North American Lighting Thanksgiving Tournament, the game on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 16 was a defensive showcase by both clubs.
Paris faced the Terre Haute North Lady Patriots in what appeared to be the best matchup of the 10-game tourney. The Lady Tigers escaped with a 30-25 victory and gained valuable experience in a tightly contested battle.
Neither team could muster much offense in the opening period as the squads battled to a 4-4 tie after eight minutes of play. The second quarter did not produce much more offense, but the Tigers did just enough to grab an 11-9 lead at intermission.
As has been the case in the past, the third period appeared to be the deciding factor for the Lady Tigers. Paris turned up their defensive pressure another notch. That uptick produced several fast break points, allowing the Tigers to increase their lead to 25-18 heading into the final eight minutes of play.
With their inability to knock down free throws in the final quarter, the Lady Tigers allowed the Patriots to cut the lead to as little as three points in the final minutes. At just the right time, Paris made a few key free throws to seal the victory.
Graci Watson led the way with 10 points, followed by Morgan Coombes with seven. Kailey Young and Bella Moreschi each had four, Kilee Edwards added three and Taylor Clark had two. Paris made just one three-pointer and converted just five of 14 attempts from the charity stripe. On the bright side, they did force 19 turnovers.
Paris faced Champaign Central (2-0) on Saturday, Nov. 18, winning 51-21 and securing a NAL Tournament title.
PARIS 56, CHARLESTON 24
Day two of the NAL Thanksgiving Tournament featured a high-scoring performance from the Lady Tigers, similar to day one. This time, Paris was paired with their one-time Apollo Conference rival; the Charleston Lady Trojans. Paris scored thirty first-half points before exploding for 20 points in the third period to run away with a 56-24 win. Paris improved to 2-0 in the five-team round-robin event.
A different day meant a different leading scorer for the Lady Tigers as Graci Watson knocked down four three-pointers on her way to 16 points. She also added three steals.
Kailey Young tallied 11 points while also dishing out four assists. Morgan Coombes dominated the paint with 10 points while Clark added nine points and three dimes. Vivian Moore and Kilee Edwards had three apiece, Moreschi had two, while Englum and Jacie Young each had one point.
PARIS 53, DANVILLE 26
The Lady Tigers began their journey with a 53-26 victory over the Danville Lady Vikings.
In a game where tenth-year head coach Dave Tingley ran out a starting lineup featuring just one returner, the Tigers put their skipper’s mind at ease. Paris raced to a 16-2 lead after one quarter of play, extending that margin to 32-11 at the half. The second half featured a running clock for the majority of the fourth quarter as the Tigers maintained their lead.
Taylor Clark knocked down three three-pointers on her way to a game-high 15 points to pace the hosts. A trio of freshmen followed her lead – Morgan Coombes finished with seven points, Jacie Young had six and seven rebounds and Kailey Young filled the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Bella Moreschi added five points and five rebounds, while Vivian Moore and Graci Watson also had four points each. Kenzie Englum, Macy Bicknell and Kilee Edwards each added two points.