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After trailing at the end of the first three quarters, the Oak Mountain Eagles ended the game on top to defeat the Thompson Warriors at home. (For the Reporter/Dawn Harrison)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

NORTH SHELBY – After a tight battle for much of the game, it was the Oak Mountain Eagles who had the last word and outscored the Thompson Warriors in the fourth quarter to earn the 54-48 win at home on Friday, Dec. 15.

Thompson got the better of Oak Mountain early in the contest, however, with the road side taking a 13-10 lead in the opening quarter.

Jayla Forbes’ four points was the most from the Warriors in the first quarter, while the Eagles’ Maggie Norris scored five to help her team keep pace.

The scoring started to pick up in the second quarter as Ella Holt hit a pair of three-pointers for Oak Mountain to cut the deficit.

Morgan Adolphus helped Thompson respond with two long-range makes of her own, and that let the Warriors hold on and take a slim 25-24 lead into the break.

In the third quarter, six different Thompson players found the bottom of the net to overcome the continuing pressure from Oak Mountain, which scored 11 points during that time.

The Warriors increased their lead by two to 38-35, but sitting just one possession away from tying the game, the Eagles were ready to strike.

The Oak Mountain offense had its best shooting performance of the game in the fourth quarter and scored 18 points in the final eight minutes.

Raegan Whitaker scored six points to take her into double-figures, while Norris added five to her total.

Crucially, the defense held Thompson to 10 points, and Caroline Kester knocked down all four of her fourth quarter free throws to give the Eagles the six-point win over their county foe.

Norris led the way for all scorers with 16 points, while Holt scored 13, Whitaker had 10 and Kester scored nine in the victory.

Adolphus was the Warriors’ leading scorer with 12 points and Forbes also got into double-figures with 10 points.

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