By T. Scott Boatright
Ikeia Brown took over early and propelled the Simsboro High School Lady Tigers to a 60-24 home win over Forest Friday night in District 1-B action at the SHS Gym.
When the 5-3 senior dynamo wasn’t forcing steal after steal against the Lady Bulldogs, Brown either went long or drove inside to put the ball in the basket during a 29-point performance that also showcased her major passing skills.
The Lady Tigers led 14-4 at the end of the opening stanza as they tried to get into gear.
They kicked it into overdrive in the second quarter, outscoring Forest 18-7 to build a 32-11 halftime advantage.
“That was huge,” said Lady Tigers coach Matt Herring. “We knew we had to go through them if we want a district championship,
“They (Forest) were 11-5 on the year — they were 1-0 in district and we were 1-0 in district. And I’ve been told if we want to win it, we had to beat them. So it feels so good to have that game behind us. We still have to go to Forest, but 2-0 in district and we control our own destiny. That’s a good thing.”
Maybe most impressive about Brown’s performance is that after she scored a pair of inside baskets off steals in the first 49 seconds of the fourth quarter, Herring called her to the bench and emptied his bench.
“This was the kind of game we needed at this point in the season,” Herring said. “We have momentum heading down the stretch. Now we need to stay focused and take advantage of that.”
Amani Dean added 12 points for the Lady Tigers.
Next up for the Lady Tigers, 11-11 overall and 2-0 in district play, is a Tuesday night game at Downsville Charter.
