Lady Titans hold off Freedom, win title

CONNELLY SPRINGS — Beating a team three times in one season can be a daunting task for any basketball team. But that's exactly what the McDowell Lady Titans did Wednesday night as they held off arch rival Freedom 67-56 in the championship game of the Burke County Invitational.
McDowell improves to 12-0 on the season as the calendar year draws to an end. The victory also ends a recent four-year dry spell in holiday tournament action. The last McDowell tourney title had occurred at the 2005 Freedom Christmas Tournament.
Three Lady Titans placed in double figures.
Xandi Gellman capped off a strong, three-day run with her best outing of the season in the championship, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds and earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
Even though she didn't score in the title game, senior point guard Jaalen Corpening had such a strong tournament she earned MVP honors.
Sophomore Tuccoa Brackett (2 rebounds, 2 assists) added 15 points off the bench and Autumn Ward (3 rebounds) added 10 points.
"Xandi was huge for us," said McDowell head coach Brian Franklin. "They (Freedom) were keying on her using backside help and other things. She did a great job for us scoring 19 points. I also think we did a good job at showing patience and getting the ball inside to her."
McDowell lost the lead only once and that was a minute into the game when it was down 4-2.
The Lady Titans jumped out to an early 11-4 lead four minutes in.
McDowell then gradually extended the lead to as much as 20-8 at the end of the quarter.
Mary Webb (6 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds) ended the quarter by receiving an inbounds pass from Brackett and draining a shot from just inside half court as the buzzer sounded.
The Patriots stayed within shouting distance, down 33-25 at halftime.
In the second half Freedom continued to gradually trim the Lady Titans lead down to as few as five points.
Jewel Walker scored 10 of her team-high 17 in the third to keep the Patriots within a two-possession margin.
Then, in the fourth quarter, McDowell took advantage of mounting foul trouble for the Patriots.
Down 51-47 with 6:32 left, Freedom's Chelsea Connelly picked up her fourth foul on a reach-in trying to block a Gellman shot inside. Gellman made both free throws. That series led to an 11-2 McDowell run that pulled the margin back in double figures and effectively ended the game.
Brackett scored six points during the flurry, including a layup off a Webb assist with 3:53 left to push the Lady Titans ahead 62-49.
"I was happy how our girls played," said Freedom head coach Amber Fox. "We played well on defense and played much better offensively than last time. With all the weapons McDowell has and everybody back from last year I was happy with how we stayed with them. This tournament has been a coming together for us, playing teams as talented as McDowell will help us in conference. Even though we lost this was a confidence boost for us playing as well as they did. "
Connelly joined Walker in double figures for Freedom with 10 points. Brittany Roberts added nine and Keonna Lewis scored eight points.
Kaitlin Gallion (6 rebounds, 3 assists) added seven points for McDowell. Jami Medford scored six points and Madison Thomas scored four.
Corpening was held scoreless in the contest but had another solid floor game with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The rest of the all-tournament team included Connelly, Walker, Concord's Mariah Black and East Burke's Paige Moore.
"I am so happy for our girls. We came down here wanting to win and we did," added Franklin. "I especially am proud for the seniors; this is their first ever Christmas tournament championship.
"They have accomplished a lot of great things and now they can add this. We wanted to use this tournament to play well and get better as a team and I think we accomplished that as well."
McDowell is at home Saturday afternoon to host the Frankston Blues from Australia in a benefit game. The jayvee girls game begins at 2 p.m. with the varsity Lady Titans to follow. There are no boys games. Saturday's contest is a benefit for the American Cancer Society and the Lady Titans basketball team. Admission is $5 and no passes will be honored.