DUMAS — Dumas overcame an 11-point first-half deficit Saturday in the consolation game of the 4A South Regional but couldn’t complete the comeback in overtime in a 61-57 defeat to Malvern.
Shabr’an Richardson tied the consolation game at 49 with a layup after a steal and had a chance to put the Lady Cats on top after being fouled on the play with 13.6 seconds left in regulation. Richardson’s free throw bounced off the iron and the two squads exchanged turnovers before the final horn sounded. Malvern had the last possession but failed to get a shot off.
Malvern took the early lead in overtime when Raven Parker connected from beyond the arc for her only points of the game. Tia White answered with a three for Dumas, but the Lady Leopards scored the next six points off two Lady Cat turnovers for a 58-52 advantage.
A’Diamond Johnson drilled a trey on Dumas’ ensuing possession to draw the Lady Cats to within three at 58-55. But it was as close as Dumas would get.
Dumas (18-10) will advance to the Class 4A state tournamament as the No. 4 seed from the South Region while Malvern (25-6) claimed the No. 3 seed. Malvern’s early game defensive pressure caused problems for Dumas in the first half.
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“I guess we were expecting intermittent defenses,” Dumas coach Glory Slater said. “We just didn’t think they were going to play man that much and we couldn’t get into our man offense. We just couldn’t get it going.”
By the time the Lady Bobcats did get things in gear late in the third, Malvern had put itself in foul trouble.
“Our point guard fouled out and we had some kids come in that were not accustomed to handling the ball,” Malvern coach Jess Martin said. “But they made some shots and some steals and fought back and got back into it.”
Turnovers, coupled with the shooting of Richardson and Johnson, who combined for 21 points in the second half, allowed the host team to crawl back into the affair.
“They didn’t quit when things were going bad,” Slater said. “We kept telling them we were still in it even down by nine going into the fourth.”
Richardson led the Lady Bobcats with 19 points while Johnson added 18. Alivia Huell’s 18 points paced Malvern, including five points in overtime. Akasha Westbrook, who played an inspired first half, finished with 14 for the Lady Leopards.