Its been four seasons since the Todd County Central girls’ basketball team made an appearance in the 4th-Region tournament, but despite a late-season slump, the Lady Rebels will like their chances as they start play in a wide-open 13th-District tourney on Tuesday.
Top-seeded Franklin-Simpson, the only team with a winning district record, was upended on Monday by Russellville. In the other semifinal, Todd Central faces Logan County after the teams split their regular-season matchups.
The Lady Rebels head to the postseason with a record of 13-12, but dropped their last two games and six of the last eight. If they are going to turn things around, sophomore Alexis Taylor figures to play a big part.
Taylor led the Lady Rebels with 16.5 points and 11 rebounds per game, but she was held to just nine in a 50-40 loss to Logan on February 3.
Junior Abby Williams also had an off night in the loss to the Lady Cougars, but she scored 25 points in a 13-point victory over Logan in January. Williams was second on the team with 12 points per game and knocked down a team-high 33 three-pointers.
Logan County’s Gracie Borders led the Lady Cougars with just under 17 points per game, and was right on her average in the two matchups with Todd Central. She also pulled down a team-hgih 10.5 rebounds per outing and shot 37% from behind the arc.
The Lady Rebels will have to be wary of Logan’s Nora Epley from three-point range. She connected on a team-high 61 threes and is second on the team at just over nine points per game.
Both teams split against Russellville during the regular season. Logan County last took home the district trophy in 2019-20, the last of three-straight for the Lady Cougars.
Todd Central’ last district title came in the 2012-13 season, also the last of three in a row. Russellville has endured the longest spell without taking home the trophy, last winning it during the 1998-99 campaign.
The host Lady Rebels and Logan County tip-off at 6 PM on Tuesday with the championship game set for 7 on Thursday.
