By Clayton Carroll

HALLS, TN (WLAF) – Your Campbell Lady Cougars, in the midst of a two-game slump, headed to Halls to battle the Lady Devils in a critical District 3 (4-A) matchup.

Bella Lester provided the first points of the ball-game per the midrange jumper. Halls, however, gained a 8-4 lead on Campbell with a minute and a half left in the first quarter. Carley Kitts cut it to 8-7 after sinking a three from the top of the arc. Halls retaliated with two long shots of their own, to extend the lead to 14-7 at the end of the first frame.

Lacey Pemberton banked in a basket for Campbell’s first points of the second quarter.  After this the Lady Cougars went scoreless for over three minutes before Jayden Kitts drilled a deep ball to end the drought. Preslee Chapman then took it all the way to the hoop, and Carley Kitts connected from long range again to give Campbell their first lead since the first quarter, 18-17. At the half, Campbell held a narrow lead against the Lady Devils 20-18.

The Lady Cougars finally found their stride, expanding their lead to 33-21 with 2:42 to go in the third, prompting a Halls timeout. The Lady Devils ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to cut the Campbell lead to 33-26.

The freshman duo of Jayden Kitts and Preslee Chapman hit back-to-back threes to extend Campbell’s lead to double digits midway through the final frame. The Lady Cougars began to let the lead dwindle away as Halls slashed the lead down to a point, 45-44, with two and a half minutes left in the game. Luckily, Campbell would not let the lead completely slipped away. Jayden Kitts scored a transition layup, and Campbell hit their free throws in the final seconds to leave Halls with a 52-44 win.

Campbell advances to 19 and 5 overall and improves to 4 and 4 in district play.

Four Lady Cougars finished in double digits. The Kitts sisters, Jayden and Carley, led the Orange-and-Blue with 13 points apiece. Lacey Pemberton finished just behind with 12 points. Preslee Chapman tallied 10 points. Bella Lester, who went down with an ankle injury in the start of the fourth quarter and did not return to action, scored four points. Reagan Davis, Saylor Hutcheson, who was plagued with early foul troubles, Destiny Rutherford, Reagan Stanfill, and Aleeah Woodson all saw action, but did not find the bottom of the net.

It is a quick turnaround for Campbell as they head back to Knoxville to face Central on Tuesday. Josh Parker sends you all the coverage beginning at 6pm over the WLAF Doyle’s Tire Sports Network which consists of AM 1450, FM 100.9, TV Channel 1089, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch.

Tue., Feb. 6 AWAY Central

Fri., Feb. 9 HOME Karns (Senior Night)

Mon., Feb. 12 AWAY District Tourney

Campbell broadcasts are made possible by these outstanding corporate partners:

Alco Builders & Realty

American Cable of La Follette

Be.You.Tiful Med Spa

Byrge Screen Printing

Clayton Homes

C & C Concrete

Cantrell Law Firm

C & L Furniture

Charley’s Pizza

C & L Metal Sales

Citizens Bank

Cumberland Equipment Rentals

Attorney Jeffrey Coller

Community Trust Bank

Cumberland Gap

Local realtor Gage Dople

Doyle’s Tire Shop

Exterior Home Solutions

Hammer’s

Hill Insurance

First National Bank

Grace Rehab

Gray Insurance Group

Greeneview Farms Market

Hearthside Bank

Jacksboro GNC

Hensley Tire & Service

Holston Gases

La Follette Nutrition

LaFollette Medical Center – Tennova Medical Group

LaFollette Mine Supply

Litho-Craft Printing & Office Supplies

LUB

Peoples Bank of the South

PCUD

Rice Oil is your home for BP and Amoco

Robbins Guttering, Roofing & Siding

Smith Metal and Dock Sales

TCAT

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 02/05/2024-8PM)

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