By AUSTIN FRANKLIN / Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – In a matchup of two highly ranked teams, the Thompson Lay Warriors easily dispatched the Montevallo Bulldogs on senior night by a score of 71-38.

The last regular season matchup for both teams was defined by Montevallo’s early turnovers and Thompson’s effective transition offense. The Warriors opened up the game with a 16-3 run in the opening quarter, which immediately put the Bulldogs offense in a position of playing catch up.

Highlighted by the post play of Brittany Grice, Thompson’s offense never let Montevallo back into the game. The Bulldogs attempts to slow down the Thompson attack only resulted in the Lady Warriors receiving free throw after free throw. Lauren Black capped off the first quarter with high arching three-pointer at the buzzer that put Thompson up 25-10 at the end of one.

From there the rout was on as a combination of Kahynne Bolton and Indiah Cohill propelled the Warriors offense throughout the second quarter. With Montevallo making defensive adjustments to slow down Grice’s post game, Bolton and Cohill began to strike from the perimeter.

Without the ability to get consistent stops on defense, Montevallo turned to Alasha Reed and Lauren Lilly for scoring. Reed led her team with 14 points, but the scoring threat was not enough to compensate for the number of turnovers Thompson forced throughout the game.

Montevallo’s attempts to utilize high screens and long passes to create offensive separation were frequently undermined by Thompson’s press defense, resulting in frequent turnovers and quick buckets for Thompson. At the half Thompson led by a commanding 41-22.

The second half told the same story as the first with Thompson extending its lead and Montevallo getting playing time for its second string team.

Cohill scored at an effectively clip in the second half, ending the game with 18 points for the Warriors as she ends her senior campaign with Thompson. Fellow senior Jordan Lenoir finished the game with 9 points.

With the game already decided, the fourth quarter played out quickly with Thompson extending its lead and ultimately winning by the score of 71-38.