Lady Devildogs fall to Blue Ridge 79-71

(Photo: Rick Veazey)

By Michael Tadie, Travelers Rest Tribune sports reporter:

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. — The Travelers Rest High School Lady Devildogs basketball team lost to the Blue Ridge Tigers 79-71 Tuesday night despite 44 points by Mallory Bruce. During a 12-minute stretch spanning the final four minutes of the second quarter and the entire third quarter, Bruce scored 27 straight Travelers Rest points, including all 18 Devildog points in the third quarter. The Lady Devildogs are tied with Greenville High School for first place in the region.

Bruce scored nine points in the first quarter, including the first five, and the Devildogs, after trailing 13-7, outscored the Tigers 10-4 in the last three minutes to tie the score at 17 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Bruce scored 11 points, including the last nine Devildog points, to pull Traveler Rest within one point, 36-35, at halftime.

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In the third quarter, Blue Ridge went on a 23 to 7 run to lead 59-44 with two minutes remaining. Bruce then hit two three-point field goals, a two-point field goal, and a free throw to pull the Devildogs within six points, 59-53, before the Tigers scored at the buzzer to lead 61-53 entering the fourth quarter. Travelers Rest scored the first six points of the final quarter to pull within 61-59 but would come no closer. Blue Ridge maintained at least a six-point lead throughout the remainder of the fourth quarter. The Tigers went on a 14-4 run to lead 75-63 with just over two minutes left in the game.

Kloey Pickens and Riley Brown also scored in double figures for the Lady Devildogs, with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Travelers Rest Coach Lindsay Baber said “we made too many mistakes that Blue Ridge capitalized on, but I’m proud of our kids."

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"Blue Ridge is a good team and they made fewer mistakes tonight," Babar continued. "Mallory played very well, she was hitting shots from inside and outside. She kept us in the game. We also missed 14 free throws and that hurt us.”

The Lady Devildogs will host Greer High School Friday night at 6 p.m. Following the game, Robert Poole and Joey Batson will be inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame.

For photos from the game, courtesy of Rick Veazey, click here.

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