The varsity Lady Tigers basketball team is on a winning streak.
The team has currently won its last four games and pushed the team’s overall record to 6-3 on the season.
Head Coach Steve Sweat’s team just returned from Columbus, where the Lady Tigers played in the Pacelli High School Christmas tournament. Dawson won the tournament championship by defeating Strong Rock Christian, 45-38, in the opening round before soundly defeating host Pacelli, 63-34, in the championship game.
The team traveled to Jasper for the Pickens Holiday Classic from Dec. 27-29.
The Lady Tigers opened the Jasper tournament against Gordon Central at 6 p.m. on Monday.
On Tuesday, the team played against Lumpkin County at noon, before finishing the tournament with a noon tipoff against Darlington on Wednesday.
Results were not available before presstime.
“We had a chance to bond in Columbus,” Sweat said. “It was also great to top it off with two wins.”
Against Strong Rock, Carly Gilreath led all Dawson scorers with 10 points.
Gilreath was followed in the scoring column by Kenna Seitz with nine points and 13 rebounds, Jessi Phillips added eight points, and Morgan Bennett contributed six points.
The Lady Tigers seemed to have the game in control by halftime with a 31-22 lead.
Dawson picked up its defense in the third quarter and allowed Strong Rock only three points.
The Lady Tigers held a commanding 39-25 advantage after three quarters of play.
Strong Rock didn’t quit as they outscored the Lady Tigers 13-6 in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough.
“I thought Kenna Seitz and Jessi Phillips did a great job of holding Strong Rock’s leading scorer, Ansley Hughes, a 6’3” post player, to only seven points,” Sweat said.
In the championship game versus Pacelli, the Lady Tigers had a strong first half offensively. Dawson scored 19 points in the first quarter and 20 points in the second to hold a huge 39-16 lead after two quarters of play.
“We really bothered them, Pacelli, with the press,” Sweat said.
The Lady Tiger defense was really strong. Dawson defenders allowed only single digits in each quarter.
Columbus State signee, Brea Walker, scored 24 of the 34 points for Pacelli.
Seitz led Dawson in scoring with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Sweat was able to play everyone on his bench and 10 of the 12 players scored points.
Also scoring for Dawson were Gilreath with 13 points, Natalie Parker with 10 points, Kim Wallace and Allie Costley with six points each, Morgan Huber and Morgan Bennett with four points each, and Hannah Porter, Jessi Phillips and Whitney Glover each contributed two points.
“Our defense was good and we really played as a team,” Sweat said.