ELLIJAY — With a chance to jump into fourth place in Region 7-3A, a rough second and third quarters doomed the Dawson County girls in a 46-37 loss to No. 8 Pickens on Thursday on the road.
The Lady Tigers (12-10, 4-5 Region 7-3A) opened with a solid 15-9 first quarter lead as five different players scored. But the Dragonettes (16-4, 5-3 Region 7-3A) dialed up the defense.
Pickens held Dawson County to just a pair Anna Ayers free throws in the second while building a 23-17 lead. The Dragonettes continued the defense in the third holding Dawson County to just two Morgan Chester baskets to build a 29-21 advantage.
The Lady Tigers finally got untracked in the fourth but could not stop Pickens’s Ellison Steinhauer, who poured in 9 of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Chester finished with 12 points to lead Dawson County. Eva Bishop added 9 points but Kindra Coker, Kirklyn Porter, Abby Slaton and Heather Burt were held to just 14 total points.
Caroline Mullins had 12 points for the Dragonettes.
