Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

ADAMSVILLE – The Thompson Warriors are off to a strong start under interim head coach Madison Pierce after winning their first game of the season.

The Warriors defeated the Minor Tigers 62-52 on Veterans Day at Minor High School in their season opener.

Destinee Ealy made the most of her Thompson debut as she hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter, which kicked off a strong game from long range for her.

She scored seven of the Warriors’ 13 points in the first, but it wasn’t enough to outpace Minor as the Tigers led 19-13 after the first quarter.

However, Thompson began to turn the tide in the second quarter.

Ealy knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and had another 7-point quarter to get her into double figures by halftime, and Sydney Coney scored three field goals for six points. They led the way for an 18-point second quarter on offense.

As for the Warriors defense, it limited the number of scorers from Minor to just two and the team as a whole to 11 points in the second.

That allowed Thompson to take a slim 31-30 lead into the halftime locker room.

The Tigers bounced back in the third and kept the Warriors’ hot hands quiet, allowing just seven points in the quarter.

Minor used that defensive effort to claim a 43-38 lead going into the fourth quarter, forcing Thompson to respond in the final eight minutes of the contest.

Ealy ignited for two more 3-pointers in the fourth quarter while Kayla Russell went 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She also added a 3-pointer to give herself seven points for the fourth after going scoreless in the previous three quarters.

Combined with four-point quarters from Carroll and Nadya French, that gave the Warriors 24 points in the fourth, their most of any quarter in the game.

Thompson used that to take the lead and maintain it as the defense surrendered just two field goals in the fourth and nine points in all, sealing the 10-point comeback victory.

Ealy led the way with 23 points, including six 3-pointers. Carroll also got into double figures with 16 points. Russell scored seven points, French had five points and KK Fenderson and Jordyn Smith each contributed four points apiece in the win.

Thompson dropped to 1-1 the next day with a 68-59 loss on the road to the Mountain Brook Spartans.

The Warriors will be back in action on the road against JAG on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.