ASKEWVILLE – The two teams had met before in tournament play.

This time, Bethel Christian Academy and Ridgecroft School met in the finals of the Eric Baggett Memorial Tournament. Like before, however, it was the Lady Rams who would claim the tourney’s title, besting the home-standing Eagles 41-36.

Ridgecroft was paced by All-Tournament performer Lauren Colson’s 11 points while Tournament MVP Hennie Larabee joined two others – Miller Bryant and Brice Harrison – with nine points.

Bethel was led by Elizabeth Farmer’s 13 points and 12 from Kelsie Conner.

After an even start, Ridgecroft scored seven points in the final minute of the first quarter to grab a 14-7 lead. Bryant started the spurt with a three-pointer that was followed by a bucket each from Harrison and Sara Hackney.

Colson’s hoop to open the second period added to the Ridgecroft lead, but Bethel started to close in.

Charitee Dunlow hit a hoop at the 6:42 mark of the quarter that started a 12-1 run that eventually put the Lady Eagles ahead. Farmer added three hoops during the spurt while Conner added one and Jessica Howerton scored twice from the free throw line.

Ridgecroft, however, got a hoop from Harrison with 51 ticks left on the first half clock to tie the game at 21-all heading into the intermission.

Colson again opened a quarter with a hoop, scoring at the 5:45 mark of the third quarter to give Ridgecroft the lead. Harrison followed with a bucket that pushed the advantage to 25-21.

The Lady Eagles tied the score on back-to-back hoops from Conner and Dunlow and the score remained tied until there was less than three minutes to play in the period.

Bryant had a hoop and Harrison scored a triple to push Ridgecroft ahead 30-25.

Bethel’s Kristen Adams stopped the spurt with a hoop at the 1:37 mark of the quarter, but Ridgecroft again dominated the final minute of play.

The Lady Rams got a hoop from Bryant and a free throw from Hackney to take a 32-28 lead into the final period.

Farmer hit two from the charity stripe and Conner added a hoop at the 4:49 mark of the final period as Bethel again tied the score.

An exchange of free throws left the score tied at 33-all with nearly four minutes to play in the contest.

Neither team scored for nearly a minute and a half until Larabee buried a three-pointer, but Farmer responded seconds later with a hoop to close Bethel back within 36-35.

The Lady Rams then got a hoop from Bryant with 1:22 to play to push ahead by three and Colson added another hoop with 28 ticks left to give Ridgecroft a 41-35 edge.

A free throw from Farmer closed the gap to five (41-36), but that was as close as the game would get. Both teams missed opportunities at the free throw line over the closing 20 seconds and Ridgecroft claimed the tournament championship.

After the game, Dunlow and Adams were named to the All-Tournament squad from Bethel. Joining the four from Ridgecroft and Bethel were Pungo Christian Academy’s Melanie Harris and Calvary’s Allison Nichols.