By Staff
Sports Correspondent
JAMESVILLE -- The Jamesville Bullets girls' basketball team hosted the Bulldogs of Dixon high school in the first round of the girls Class 1-A playoffs. Dixon survived a fourth quarter rally to escape with the victory, 55-50, to move on to the second round.
Jamesville finished its season with a 8-9 record.
Up next for the Dixon Bulldogs will be the Southside Seahawks. The second round game will be at Southside High School Thursday at 7 p.m.
Dixon's Krisha Parker started the scoring with a three-point basket to give the Bulldogs the early lead. On the other end of the court, Jamesville's Jenna Lilley and Marshall Hill connected on a give-and-go from the high post to get on the board.
The two teams battled closely until Parker hit another three pointer to give the Bulldogs some breathing room after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Dixon increased its lead to ten points by halftime. Dixon's Crysta Lanier hit two three pointers to help the cause. She and Parker combined for 16 of the Bulldogs 20 total points in the quarter, both scoring eight.
Lady Bulldog Kaley Bittner came alive in the third quarter to keep the Bullets at arms' length. She had six of Dixon's 11 points in the third, Dixon's lowest offensive quarter of the night. During the Bulldog lull, Jamesville only managed 12 points. Hill led her team with six of those points.
In the first two minutes of the fourth, Jamesville erased Dixon's nine-point lead. They cut it to three for the first of five times in the quarter. They were unable to claw any closer as Bittner and Parker scored just enough points to bring victory to the Bulldog sideline.
Late in the quarter, when Jamesville had cut the lead to three for its last time, they were forced to put Parker on the line. Parker hit all four of her foul shots in the quarter to ice the game for the Bulldogs.
Dixon head coach Dwight Duff was not surprised to see all four shots go down.
To get to the playoffs in your first year as head coach of the Bullets is an accomplishment. It's one that Jamesville's Philip Griffin, who had previous success coaching teams from Martin County in the past, will have to build on for next season.
Hill had 18 points for the Bullets and Griffin is eager to coach her for two more seasons.
Class 1-A state playoffs
First round, varsity girls
DIXON (55)
Krisha Parker 20, Kaley Bittner 12, Crysta Lanier 12, Lewis 6, Hardin 3, Meeting 2, Jacob.
JAMESVILLE (50)
Marshall Hill 18, Clara Daniels 12, Green 6, Sawyer 6, Grimes 4, Lilley 4, Dickerson, Mobley.
Dixon 12 20 11 12 _ 55
Jamesville 8 14 12 16 -- 50