By By Chandler Myers
Monday night’s girls basketball game at Escambia County High School helped get the Lady Blue Devils off to a bang by winning what could end up being their most exciting game of the season with 52-48 triple overtime defeat of the Monroe County Lady Tigers.
A game with an early lead and a late deficit not to mention a home and visiting crowd that went to its feet with every point that was scored late in the fourth quarter and in each overtime period.
Seeing the crowd get so into the game was just as exciting as every made basket or called foul because the noise in the gym would drown out any thought that an individual might have.
The match up between the two county high schools really became heart-pounding as the Monroe County lead grew smaller and smaller.
The full-court press for the Lady Blue Devils began to show promise as they made several steals and hit several key shots to eventually tie the game.
The first overtime saw several fouls and lead changes in the quickly played four mintutes, but neither team could gain the advantage to win the game.
The second overtime was even more exciting as the Lady Blue Devils fell behind the Lady Tigers 45-44. A missed shot by the Lady Tigers followed by a rebound by Jasmine Ireland sent the crowd into an uproar as she quickly dribbled to halfcourt and attempted to put up a shot, but was fouled in the process with the clock stopping with 1.2 seconds left.
Ireland would get two chances at the charity stripe. Two shots with one chance to win and two chances to tie the game.
She hit the first shot, which sent the crowd into another glorious roar, but missed the second shot.
The first shot was the one that mattered though because it put her team in a position to have a chance to win.
With that one free throw, the momentum of the game swung in favor of the Lady Blue Devils who put the Lady Tigers in the back of their minds and score seven crucial points enroute to a 52-48 victory.
Surely, Jasmine Ireland will score several more times throughout the course of this season, but if for some reason she does not hit another shot everyone will remember the one she made against Monroe County.That shot helped get her team their first win.
Have a good week sports fans.
Chandler Myers is sports editor of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or by e-mail at sports@atmoreadvance.com.