WVOW Sports
NAUGATUCK For the first time in two years, the Man Lady Hillbillies returned to the basketball court, and while it wasn't the outcome they had hoped, the Lady Hillbillies hung tough for a half before a third quarter run ruined any chance of a victory.
Class A No. 7 Tug Valley outscored Man, 23-6, in the third quarter to pull away from the Lady Hillbillies and run away with a 66-31 victory Monday night at Tug Valley High School.
Man, who is fielding a team for the first time in two seasons, got 14 points from Jenna Baisden while Braylee Thompson finished with eight points for the Lady Hillbillies.
Man, whose last game was a 68-41 loss to Lincoln County in the Class AA Region 4 Section 2 tournament on Feb. 22, 2020, trailed by 17 points after one quarter but trimmed the deficit to 12 points, 29-17, at halftime, however, a second half surge from the Lady Panthers prevented a storybook ending.
Bailee Hall led Tug Valley with a game-high 21 points and was joined in double figures by Haven Deskins with 15 and Kenzie Browning with 14 points.
Tug Valley (1-0) returns to action Friday evening in the Rogers Oil Tournament at Summers County High School against Class AA co-No. 7 Chapmanville.
The Lady Hillbillies, who have lost 43 of their last 46 games, will host Lincoln County on Friday at the Man Memorial Fieldhouse.
Tug Valley 66, Man 31
Man (0-1)
Baisden, Je. 4 0-0 14, Baisden, Ja. 2 1-2 5, Thompson 3 1-2 8, Deel 1 0-0 2, McCoy 0 2-4 2.
Totals: 12 4-8 31.
Tug Valley (1-0)
Hall 8 5-9 21, Gillman 1 0-0 2, Osborne 1 1-1 3, Swan 3 0-0 6, Justice 1 0-0 2, Fields 1 0-1 2, Browning 4 3-4 14, Deskins 6 0-2 15, Spaulding 0 1-3 1. Totals: 25 10-20 66.
Man 3 14 6 8- 31
TV 20 9 23 14- 66
3-point field goals- Man 4 (Baisden, Je. 2, Baisden, Ja., Thompson), Tug Valley 6 (Browning 3, Deskins 3).