WHITWELL, Tenn. - Practice is so overrated.
Because of the inclement weather Whitwell High School was closed for four days this week, preventing the girls' basketball team from practicing. Despite the layoff the Lady Tigers were able to pick up their second key District 5-A home win of the week Friday, 43-32 over Van Buren County.
Whitwell began the week with a win over South Pittsburg, and those bookend victories have the Lady Tigers leading the district pack.
"This season has been kind of a roller coaster for us," Whitwell coach Eric Zensen said. "We've played a tough schedule and our district is going to be very nip and tuck, so it's really important to win those home matchups.
"Having a good early run to take the lead was a big plus, because we've been a team that has had a tendency to start slow. I thought both teams were sloppy at times tonight, and that was probably because of the time off, but fortunately our offense was able to feed off the defensive effort."
Whitwell trailed for only the first three minutes of the game, then opened a seven-point lead late in the opening period. The Lady Tigers struggled throughout the second quarter, managing only three free throws and committing six straight turnovers during one stretch as their lead was cut to two by halftime.
However, an 8-1 run to open the second half, jump-started by sophomore Seneca Barnett's two 3-pointers, gave the hosts enough of a cushion to hold off a 6-0 Eaglettes surge ending the third period and maintain the lead. The Lady Tigers, who out-rebounded the Lady Eagles 21-11 in the second half and forced 28 turnovers, fed off their harassing defense to begin the fourth with a 7-0 run that pushed their lead to double digits. Van Buren never got closer than five the rest of the way.
"Those two 3-pointers early in the third really seemed to get us going," said Zensen, whose team allowed just six field goals for the game. "We're still trying to become more consistent offensively, but the turnovers led to some easy points and I thought there were some tired legs in the fourth quarter.
"We've still got a ways to go to get to where we want to be, but this win tonight, along with the one to start the week, is really big for us."
Barnett led Whitwell with 11 points, while Van Buren senior Mallory Christian led all scorers with 21, making 14 of 18 free throws.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.