Lady Trojans outlast Cougars
By Jim McCarter Contributing sportswriter

The Carroll Lady Cougars lost their fourth-consecutive game Saturday afternoon, dropping a 54-46 decision to Hoosier Heartland Conference rival Tri-Central.

The victory gave the 12-6 Lady Trojans the Hoosier Heartland Conference title. Tri- Central made a clean sweep of the conference with a perfect 5- 0 record. Carroll dropped to 6- 9 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Rossville will visit Carroll Saturday for both team's final HHC game.

The game was back and forth for most of the afternoon with six ties and 11 lead changes through three quarters. But once again, the Lady Cougars were unable to finish strong against a good team.

"Tri-Central scared me more than any team on our schedule," Carroll coach Mike Mc- Croskey said. "Tri-Central is the best team we've played all season. When I scouted them, they looked like state champions. In the locker room after the game we kind of both built our girls up and got on them. We played very well for most of the game, but we also gave up three offensive-rebound baskets in the fourth quarter that cost us, something we hadn't done the rest of the game. It's the little things that stand between us and winning these close games."

Carroll had perhaps its best start of the season, dominating the Lady Trojans for the first 5:06. Back-to-back 3-pointers from opposite corners by Krystal Brazel and Jaime McCarter gave the Lady Cougars a 13-5 lead with 2:54 to go in the first quarter. But three Carroll turnovers and 0-for-4 shooting the rest of the quarter allowed Tri-Central to battle back. The Lady Trojans scored the last eight points of the stanza to tie the score 13-13 at the first stop.

The second and third quarters were a virtual standoff. Carroll was led by a pair of freshmen, Quinci Eller and Jess Yoder. Eller scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the middle two quarters and J. Yoder added 7 of her 9 points during that stretch. After three quarters Tri-Central led by the narrowest of margins, 40-39.

Tri-Central outscored Carroll 14-7 in a fourth quarter that was much closer than the final score might indicate. The Lady Trojans led 46-41 when Sally Adams scored one of the putbacks McCroskey spoke of with 3:47 to go. A 3-pointer from the left wing by Eller cut the margin to 46-44. Following a bucket by Tri-Central, J. Yoder picked off a Tri-Central pass and went coast-to-coast for a lay up. With 2:38 left Tri- Central's lead was just 48-46.

Unfortunately for the Lady Cougars, Yoder's lay-up proved to be Carroll's final two points of the contest. Tri-Central scored six points in the closing 2:16 to win by eight.

Brazel pitched in 8 points for the Lady Cougars and Abby Reinke pulled down 10 rebounds. Tri-Central had three girls in double figures. Haley Hewitt had 14 points, Kelly Walter scored 11 and 6-foot center Amber Suiters added 13 points and 10 boards.

"Without a doubt, this was our best effort of the season," McCroskey said. "Tri-Central causes a lot of problems with their size on offense, and their defense is very scrappy, denying all passes. I was encourage by how we fell behind four or five points a couple of times and came back. Our girls should gain some confidence from this effort."

There was no junior varsity game.

Carroll has five games left to get back to their mid-season winning ways before sectional play begins. All five of their remaining games are at home. The Lady Cougars host a tough Lewis Cass squad Thursday, then play both Rossville and Lowell Saturday afternoon.