The Copper Basin High School girls basketball team has captured the District 5A championship for the third year in a row. This time, it was a dominating 70-32 win over Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts February 23 at Copper Basin.
“Winning district is always special, especially watching this group of seniors get rewarded for all their hard work over their careers. We had a list of goals we set at the beginning of the season and this checks off one of those boxes,” Head Coach Jeff Grimes said. “I always get a sense of pride watching these kids and their families get to celebrate a special achievement. It’s special.”
Kloie Ballew and Cora Kimsey each put on an offensive show for the home crowd. However, it was the whole team that put CSLA away from essentially the first quarter.
Kimsey scored the first three baskets of the game and Ballew scored the next three to give Basin a 12-0 lead with 3:20 to go in the first quarter. Ballew added two more jumpers to give Basin the lead 16-4 at the buzzer.
Riley Akens and Alexis Hyatt got in on the scoring in the second quarter Akens scored three at the 5:26 mark and Hyatt scored from downtown at 59.1 seconds to go before halftime. Kimsey and Ballew each provided four more points to give Basin a 30-16 lead at halftime.
The third quarter was a defense and shooting clinic by the Lady Cougars. Kendra Deal showed her outside strength with two successful three-pointers including one to start the quarter and one to end the quarter as the buzzer went off. She also hit a layup at 1:33 left. Akens hit two free throws to add to her total. Ballew scored six more points. Hyatt came alive in the last half of the quarter and scored eight points. Kimsey added seven more to her total. Basin outscored CSLA in the third quarter 31-7 to lead 61-23 after three quarters.
Laney Scoggins, Kallie Mosley, Maleah Deal, Kinsley Ross, Addison Hyatt and Madden Beach each played solid defense in the third and last quarters to keep the lead strong for the Lady Cougars. Maleah Deal hit a basket in the quarter and Addison Hyatt hit a basket and a free throw. Before she got a much deserved rest, Kimsey put up four points.
Kimsey finished with 21 points while Ballew scored 20. Alexis Hyatt had 11 points while Kendra Deal had eight. Addison Hyatt had three and Maleah Deal had two.
Basin was 9-for-15 from the free throw line line.
The win gave the Lady Cougars a spot in the Region 3A tournament on February 27.