Dragonettes Doused in Decatur

The Pickens High School Dragonettes’ basketball season came to a close, with a 53-35 loss to the Columbia High School Lady Eagles in the first round of the state playoffs.The Lady Eagles took flight early running out to a quick 6-0 lead before a Sarah Smith jumper put the “Nettes” on the scoreboard. Pickens picked up the pace cutting the lead to 10-6 with 3:18 left in the first quarter, after Haley Kalson’s assist to Smith. The quarter ended with Columbia holding a 12-8 lead.

Pickens’ Danielle Goss cut the Columbia lead to two, 12-10, with a driving lay-up; however, an 8-2 run by the Lady Eagles saw Pickens facing a 20-12 deficit with 4:13 left in the first half. Columbia led 22-16 at half time.

The Dragonettes went cold in the third quarter, allowing the Lady Eagles to spread its wings. Columbia opened the second half with an 8-0 run that put the home team up 30-16. The “Nettes” got nixed by the Lady Eagles’ press. Pickens kept getting picked off, picking up only five points in the third.

Columbia led 38-21 going into the fourth quarter and cruised to a 53-35 victory. Goss, a senior, led the “Nettes” in scoring with 17 in her last game. Smith finished with eight, Kadie Mullinax had six, and Olivia Lemieux had three.