By Jeff Devine
The Dale County Lady Warriors game against the Wicksburg Lady Panthers was an electrifying, on-the-edge- of-your-seat game to watch Thursday, and both teams certainly did not disappoint.
After being behind most of the game, the Lady Warriors never gave up and staged a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, erasing a double-digit deficit to stun the Wicksburg Lady Panthers 52–50 in a thrilling road victory.
Wicksburg controlled the tempo early, taking an 18–14 lead after the first quarter behind steady scoring and strong rebounding. The Panthers extended their advantage to 30–21 by halftime, maintaining pressure on a Lady Warriors squad working to keep pace.
Dale County began chipping away in the third, narrowing the margin to just 37–35 as momentum slowly shifted. The Lady Warriors carried that energy into the fourth quarter, finally overtaking Wicksburg in the final minutes.
The Lady Panthers had multiple opportunities to tie or regain the lead in the last 60 seconds, but several shots refused to fall as Dale County held on to complete the comeback.
It was a tough loss for Wicksburg, who led nearly the entire game, but a gritty and well-earned win for the Lady Warriors as they continue to build up momentum. The Lady Panthers will next face Geneva County on Monday, 12/15, at Wickburg, while the Lady Warriors take on county system rival, G.W. Long, on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
