Hebron sends top ranked Claiborne home

Southern Sports & Travel

Hebron shocked top ranked Claiborne 37-33 behind the play of 6’3” senior Tori Nichols who scored a game high 18 points and recorded blocked ten shots.

The Lady Eagles jumped out to a 6-0 start before Claiborne converted a basket with four minutes gone in the quarter.

Hebron took a 12-8 lead into the second quarter and Tori Nichols went to work. Nichols scored an easy basket in the paint to start the second quarter and then blocked a shot on the other end, recovered the ball and took it the length of the court for a lay-in at the 6:03 mark of the quarter to give the Lady Eagles a 16-8 advantage.

Nichols then sank and 8 footer from the baseline to push the lead to 18-8.

Hebron would take a 21-12 lead into halftime before stunned Claiborne supporters.

(Above) Hebron's Tori Nichols (#34) records one of her ten blocks in the game

Claiborne managed to trim the deficit to seven points at 31-24 heading into the final quarter of play and the Lady Rebels starting chipping away at the Hebron lead.

Hannah Colvin’s 3-pointer from the wing got Claiborne to within four points at 33-29 with 4:46 left in regulation and Kameron Simpson followed with two free throws to make it a one possession game at 33-31 but Hebron would hit on 4 of 6 free throws down the stretch to preserve a 37-33 upset win to advance to their first ever state semi-final.

“This is the farthest our school has ever gone,” said Hebron head coach William Cotton.

“Our girls played the defense we needed to play and our girls did well at the free throw line,” said Cotton.

Nichols led Hebron (24-10) with 18 points, Alaina Hill added 10 and Subrina Oswalt, Beverly Blake and Ruth Foster each had 3 points.

Claiborne (24-3) was led by Kameron Simpson with 13 points, Ragan Beard added 7, Chele Atkins 6, Hannah Colvin 5 and Chelcy Swint 2.