A 5-0 run to end the game propelled the Barack Obama Lady Eagles to an 11-7 victory over the Henderson Mill Eagles in the DeKalb County Elementary Basketball Girls’ Championship held recently at Tucker High School.

Henderson Mill had regained the lead for the fourth time in the game at 7-6 on a layup with 4:52 to play. Obama answered at the 4:35 mark of the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to take the lead for good at 9-7.

It was a two-point game when Obama rebounded a missed free throw and put it back up and in for the 11-7 advantage with 1:58 to play.

Henderson Mill, playing its third game of the day, took a 2-0 lead early in the game and held the lead until Obama tied it with 1:38 to play in the first half. Both teams hit a free throw in the final 24 seconds to go into the half knotted 3-3.

Obama answered Henderson Mill’s layup with 3:18 to play in the third quarter with a three-pointer to take a 6-5 lead heading into the final quarter.

GIRLS’ SEMIFINALS
Barack Obama 17, Oak Grove 2

Barack Obama outscored Oak Grove 15-2 over the final three quarters on the way to a 17-2 girls’ semifinal win at Tucker High School.

The two battled to a 0-0 late into the first quarter when Obama scored to take a 2-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the period. Oak Grove, the Area 1 runner-up, evened the score on an offensive rebound to knot the score at 2-2 heading into the second quarter.

Obama scored six points in the final 1:58 of the first half, twice on offensive rebounds, to take control of the game at 8-2 as the teams went into halftime.

A 6-0 run in the third quarter all but sealed the win for Obama which earned a bye into the semifinals with its Area 3 championship the prior weekend.

Henderson Mill 14, Smoke Rise 5
Henderson Mill limited the Smoke Rise Lady Jaguars to just two points in the first half on the way to a 14-5 win in a girls’ semifinal matchup between Area champions.

Henderson Mill, the Area 1 champion, led 4-1 at the end of the first quarter and 11-2 at the half. Smoke Rise had hit a one free throw in each of the two quarters for their points.

Smoke Rise held Henderson Mill to just one point in the third quarter to narrow the lead to 12-5 as the teams got set for the fourth quarter. Henderson Mill hit just two free throws in the final period while holding Smoke Rise scoreless for the final of 14-5.

FIRST ROUND

Oak Grove 7, Pine Ridge 6
A free throw with 1:25 to play was the difference at Oak Grove slipped past Area 2 runner-up Pine Ridge Panthers 7-6 in the opening day of the girls’ championship tournament at Tucker High School.

Oak Grove led 3-2 at the half and 5-4 going into the fourth quarter. The teams were all knotted up at 6-6 with 5:18 to play in the game. A foul with 1:25 sent Oak Grove to the free-throw line where a 1-2 trip made it 7-6.

Henderson Mill 16, Bob Mathis 16-6
Henderson Mill pulled away from a 2-2 first-quarter tie to knock off Bob Mathis 16-6 in first round action of the DeKalb County Elementary Girl’s Basketball Championships at Tucker High.

Bob Mathis, Area 3 runner-up, tied the game at 2-2 with 5:08 to play in the first quarter and did not score again until hitting a free throw with 56 seconds left in the half. Henderson Mill went on a 7-0 and then scored with nine seconds to play in the first half to take a commanding 11-3 lead.

Both teams managed just one point in the third quarter and Henderson Mill outscored Bob Mathis 4-2 in the fourth period to seal the 16-6 victory.