MADISON — This was a game Torie Tibbetts had on her mind well before the season started — and even before it began, she had a feeling.
“We were sitting in the locker room, and we were like, ‘Man, this is going to be our game,’” the senior on the Hall-Dale girls basketball said. “We felt it. We’re on the bus, we’re talking; we’re in the locker room, we’re talking; we’re on the bench, we’re talking. … We really came together today.”
Hall-Dale did nothing less, surging past Madison, 68-47, on Wednesday. The vital Mountain Valley Conference win vaulted the Bulldogs to the top of the Class C South Heal point rankings with just one game remaining in the regular season.
How did Hall-Dale win?
• Hall-Dale (14-3) shut down Madison after the first quarter, holding standouts Raegan Cowan and Mackenzie Robbins to a combined three points in the second half. The Bulldogs scored just four points in the third quarter.
• Madison (11-4) led 21-15 after Mackenzie Robbins hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter, but Tibbetts powered a 15-0 run for Hall-Dale with a slew of rebounds and baskets in the paint.
• Immediately after a Jacey Moody basket ended Hall-Dale’s run, a 3-pointer from Lucy Gray kept the Bulldogs’ momentum going, and the visitors took a 38-31 lead into the break.
What does win mean?
• A rematch of last year’s Class C South title game was pivotal in the standings, with both teams in the running for the No. 1 seed in the region. Hall-Dale, previously in second place, jumped ahead of Winthrop with the victory.
• Hall-Dale is still working star center Jade Graham back into the starting lineup after she missed nearly a month because of a knee injury. Even with Graham on a minutes restriction, Hall-Dale coach Laurie Rowe could feel her team jelling.
“Having Jade back and getting more minutes every game after her knee injury is just awesome,” Rowe said. “They’re starting to get some of that flow back with the same starting five, and it’s been great to see that.”
Statistical leaders
• Hall-Dale: Torie Tibbetts (20 points, 10 rebounds), Marie Benoit (14 points), Sierra Gibbons (13 points, five rebounds), Lucy Gray (11 points, three 3-pointers).
• Madison: Mackenzie Robbins (14 points, five rebounds), Raegan Cowan (10 points).
They said it
“They were the game we were looking forward to all year. They’re respectable; we respect all of them, we know they’re great athletes, and we’ve played against them in almost every sport. We knew they were going to be tough, so it’s a good win to pull out.” — Torie Tibbetts
“Madison is a scrappy, fast team; they pushed our girls, and our girls really stepped up to the challenge today. It was awesome to see. I think that might have been one of our best games of the year so far.” — Laurie Rowe
“Defensively, we were letting things go that we don’t normally let go — our help-side wasn’t really there — but it’s live and learn. When you struggle one night, you pick it up and go on to the next one.” — Madison coach Adam Rich
Up next
• Hall-Dale: vs. Monmouth Academy (10-6), 6 p.m. Tuesday
• Madison: at Mt. Abram (8-8), 6:30 p.m. Friday
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