By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Dora Lady Falcons are the Class 2, District 10 champions for the first time since 2010.
Dora topped Gainesville 47-32 at Norwood Thursday night to claim the title.
“They beat us earlier this year at Gainesville,” said Dora head coach Cole Garnette, “And we played pretty bad in that first half. We were down 18 at one point and we cut it back to 7. We said, that’s like a district game, and we’ll work the rest of the year for this game. I told them if you come out and play like we’ve been playing the past 4-5 games, we have a chance, and all you need is a chance. They came out tonight and played like it.”
Cassidy Hambelton, who recently joined the 1,500 point club as a junior, led all scorers with 29 points.
“She’s gotten her teammates more involved this season and is still putting up 30 per night,” said Coach Garnette. “She’s a hard worker and always in the gym getting shots up.”
Dora lacked an inside presence readily seen in Gainesville’s 6’0” center Elizabeth Kinworthy, who recently scored her 1000th career point, but they made up for it with fierce rebounding and connecting on outside shots.
“I thought we were pretty flat offensively,” said Gainesville head coach Lance West. “Dora did a good job of doubling on our big girl and unfortunately we didn’t do a good job moving to get open and attacking the baskets.”
“But I’m proud of my girls,” he said. “We had a good season, we’re 15-10. This is the first winning season these girls have had in three years. I’m proud for our program and would say our season has been a success.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
The teams got off to a slow start, burning nearly half the time off the clock in the first quarter before senior Riley Collins connected from downtown to put Dora on the board first. Kaitlyn Hambelton added a bucket to go up 5-0, and Kinworthy contributed underneath the basket to put Gainesville on the books.
That’s when junior guard Cassidy Hambelton kicked it up a notch for Dora with back-to-back threes. Senior Shayla Wages answered with her own connection from behind the arc, and Kinworthy put up 4 more points. Cassidy Hambelton closed the frame with a big three at the buzzer, putting Dora ahead 14-8.
The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Falcons in the second, tying the game at 15 before going into the half trailing by 3. Senior Erin McKinzie had four and junior Debra Winrod three of Gainesville’s 9 points in the frame. Cassidy Hambelton added all 6 of Dora’s additions.
Hambelton came out hot in the third, quickly putting up 5 points and eventually closing the quarter with another three at the buzzer. Collins connected on two from downtown, and the Lady Falcons held the Lady Bulldogs to 4.
Eight of Dora’s twelve points in the fourth came from the charity stripe, but their big third quarter propelled them to victory.
The Lady Falcons move to 15-10 on the season and take on Richland March 3 in the Class 2 State Tournament.
Scoring for Dora: Cassidy Hambelton, 29; Riley Collins, 9; Kaitlin Hambelton, 5; Callen Depriest, 3; Chesney Luna, 1.
Scoring for Gainesville: Elizabeth Kinworthy, 13; Erin McKinzie, 7; Shayla Wages, 6; Mercedes Shaw, 3; Debra Winrod, 3.
