If the AHSAA handed out game-changing-moment awards, Thompson&8217;s Chasity Herron&8217;s play in the final minute of the third quarter of Friday night&8217;s 67-59 win over Pelham, would be deserving of a top nominee.

Holding a slim, 38-37 margin, Herron grabbed a defensive rebound and took the ball up the floor for two points. On the next Panther&8217;s possession, Herron secured a steal, drove down and scored again to make it a five-point game, 44-37 at the end of 24 minutes of play.

&8220;I guess it was the right time to do it,&8221; Herron said. &8220;I knew we had to do something to come together, because they were starting to get intensity and we were getting frustrated. That steal motivated everybody.&8221;

&8220;That probably turned the whole game around momentum-wise for Thompson and maybe mentally for Pelham,&8221; said Lady Warriors head coach Cara Crosslin.

The steal caped a 10-2, two-minute run by the Warriors that came after Pelham took a slim 35-34 lead with 3:15 to play in the third quarter. The lead was the Panther&8217;s first since Herron tied the game 16-16 in the first quarter.

Rhonda Watts sealed the game for the Warriors in the fourth quarter, collecting seven points from the floor and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line in the final eight minutes of play, as she finished with 24 points.

Herron added 10 points and 10 rebounds to help Watts counter Pelham’s threat of Whitney Hudson who had 19 points in the game.

The victory takes ninth-ranked Thompson to 19-4 on the season and 5-0 in Class 6A, Area 10, clinching the regular season area title &045; only their third area title in the past 10 years.

Thompson started the week with an 83-53 area win over Jackson-Olin, as Watts added 25 in the victory. Zoriah Williams stepped up 26 points on the week, while Renita Lewis had 25 rebounds.

Pelham entered the game off a 60-37 win over Briarwood, where Lindsey Young led the way with 19 points. Whitney Billings had 14 against Thompson and 27 for the week. Hudson added 10 points against Briarwood