Trenton keeps streak alive with upset of Gallatin in HIT final

For the fourth year in a row, and fifth time in the last six tournaments, the #1 seeded girls team failed to get a glimpse of the championship trophy at the Hamilton Invitational.

Trenton’s fourth-seeded Lady Bulldogs won the rubber game of the 2005-06 series with third-seeded Gallatin and took Saturday night’s championship with a 52-43 win.

The game stood tied at even intervals through the first quarter until Trenton claimed a 14-12 with its final possession. Trenton, which shot 47% (8 of 17) from the field, led by as many as seven points in the second period. Gallatin struggled to get its shot to go down and finished the half with a 32% shooting accuracy (9 of 28) from the field.

Trenton quickly built a double-digit advantage in the third quarter, but Trisha Sprague knocked the lead back to 36-28 with a trey.

Sprague helped lift the GHS girls to within 36-31 early in the fourth quarter after grabbing a weak-side rebound, getting the putback and adding a foul shot. However, Trenton responded by penetrating the lane with the ball on back-to-back-to-back possessions.

Kinsey Batson banked in a hook shot for Gallatin with 20 seconds left to cut the deficit to 49-43, but it was Gallatin’s last effort to get back into the game.

Sprague and Batson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, to pace the GHS Lady Bulldogs. Ashton Witten, who garnered the most valuable player award for Trenton, notched 10 to lead her team.

The Lady Bulldogs hit the shots – some big shots, particularly from the free throw line, in a 49-42 upset of Richmond on Thursday. Converting 14 of 17 attempts, including clutch free throws at the end, Gallatin avenged an earlier loss sustained in the Lawson Tournament.

Sprague hit all eight of her free throw attempts, including three clutch shots with 5:02 left in the fourth quarter that broke a 34-34 tie. Equally important in Gallatin’s late-game efforts to pad a lead were a pair of hustling, heads-up buckets that followed.

With 2:23 showing, and the score stagnant at 37-34, Batson pushed the ball up down the middle of the court and spotted Burge snaking down the side of the lane. Burge hit the layup, drew the foul and made the free throw. Seconds later, Burge crashed the boards for a rebound, stuck the ball back up and in to give the Gallatin a 42-37 advantage.

Sprague and Taylor Henderson closed out the game with a four-for-four showing at the foul line. Sprague led the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points. Burge finished with 10.

Richmond’s six-foot center, Cassie Hunt, dominated in the paint in the first quarter, but sat out much of the second period. The Lady Bulldogs were able to hold her in check in the second half with double-team defensive efforts, but she finished with a game-high 21 points.