Improved Ringgold takes Comcast tourney title

LaFAYETTE, Ga. — The improvement of the Ringgold Lady Tigers was seen in some obvious and not-so obvious ways Tuesday night.

In winning the Comcast Christmas Tournament at LaFayette High School with a double-overtime 48-47 win over Trion, Ringgold captured its eighth win of the season, one more than the team managed to win a year ago. That win total is easily the biggest sign of improvement.

However, second-year coach Katie Galloway offered a more telling argument as to why this is a different Ringgold team.

“Last year and in years past they might have folded in games like this,” she said. “But they stayed with it and never gave up, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Last year we were playing for seventh place in this tournament. The girls are finding out what it’s like to win, and that’s very important.”

Jessi Sponberger’s layup with six seconds to play in the second overtime proved to be the difference in the defense-dominated game. After Alexa Rush’s two free throws gave Trion (9-3) a 47-46 lead with 13 seconds to play, Carrie Grant took the ensuing inbounds pass, split a potential double-team and raced down court, where she hit Sponberger for the winning basket.

“Carrie did a great job there,” Galloway said. “We just wanted to get a good shot at the end, and she made something happen.”

Ringgold (8-5) ended the first half on a 13-0 run, keyed by two 3-pointers from Lauren West, to take a 22-15 lead. Trion used a 14-2 run in the third to take a 29-27 lead, then seemed to take control with a 8-0 run early in the final period to take a 37-33 advantage with 5:18 to play.

The Lady Tigers, however, scored six straight for a two-point lead before Brittany White’s drive with 18 seconds to play sent the game to overtime. After a 2-2 first overtime period the lead traded hands seven times in the second, the last on Sponberger’s layup. Rush’s last-second shot just outside the free-throw line bounced off.

“That was amazing,” said tournament MVP Tiffany Gent, who led Ringgold with 12 points and 14 rebounds. “The difference in this team is huge. Last year we would turn the ball over a lot and we didn’t play real team basketball. Now we’re playing as a team, and it showed tonight.”

Megan Crawford added 11 points, and Allie Fairchild had 11 rebounds to help Ringgold build a 46-23 rebound edge. White led Trion with 15 points, with Rush adding 13 and eight rebounds.