PULASKI, Tenn. – Going into Saturday's conference opener at Martin Methodist the last three games between the Bethel Lady Wildcats and RedHawks had been decided by four points or less so it should be no surprise the game in Pulaski was another tight affair. In a game that saw 10 lead changes and nine ties the home team escaped with a 43-42 victory.
Early in the fourth quarter Bethel led by seven at 37-30 but Martin Methodist went on a nine point unanswered run to take a 39-37 lead. With each possession crucial in the waning seconds Bethel took a 42-41 lead on a bucket by Morgan Martin.
The Hawks answered with 14 seconds left as Destiney Williams grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to give MMC a 43-42 margin.
The Lady Wildcats had two final attempts, including a look with 1.8 seconds left but neither shot fell and Martin Methodist fans breathed a sigh of relief.
Martin finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Wildcats. Jemia Carpenter led the RedHawks with 13 points and eight boards. Treasure Hunt came off the bench and popped in 12 points with all those tallies coming in the second quarter.
The Lady Cats had a commanding advantage in rebounding at 45-30 but turnovers proved to be costly in the low scoring affair. Bethel had 24 turnovers with 15 of those coming in the second half. Martin Methodist had a 19-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
Neither team shot well in the contest. Bethel was 16-of-57 from the floor at 28 percent. MMC was 15 of-50 at 30 percent. The teams combined for 6-of-37 from the three-point area. Bethel hit two of 14 attempts while the Hawks were 4-of-23.
The victory over Bethel marked the third in the last four tries for the RedHawks. Bethel fell to 6-6 and 0-1 in the SSAC. MMC moved to 9-3 and 1-0.
Coach Chris Nelson said, "We let this one get away but credit Martin Methodist. They made a run and then we missed some assignments down the stretch and it was the difference. Twenty four turnovers is unacceptable. We will continue to work hard as a staff and feel confident we will snap back and be fine."
The Lady Wildcats return to action Thursday night hosting Wilberforce at 6 p.m. Catch the action on WEIO, 100.9 and at www.thefarmradio.com. Fans can also watch the game on Wildcat Vision with the Countdown to Tip-off Show beginning at 5:30 p.m.
