Holly Springs splits with Rosa Fort

It was a pair of close contests Tuesday night, Jan. 7, when District 1-3A rivals Holly Springs and Rosa Fort met on the hardwood.

The Lady Hawks snatched a five-point win over the Lady Lions, while the Hawks lost on a last-second put-back.

Eighth grader Teyuana Reaves led the way with 14 points in a 40-35 home win for the Holly Springs girls. Seven other Lady Hawks scored in a balanced offensive attack.

The game was tied at 6 after one quarter but Holly Springs grabbed momentum in the second period and led 21-11 at the break. Rosa Fort cut its deficit to four at the end of the third. The visiting squad got within two, 34-32, with 2:35 remaining in the game but the Lady Hawks nailed some crucial free throws in the last minute to wrap up the important district win.

The Holly Springs and Rosa Fort boys hooked up in a barnburner. The Hawks went up 60-59 on Jason Jeffries’ bucket with 15 seconds left. Then on the other end, during a fierce battle for a rebound, the Lions managed to get up a shot and score just before the final horn for the 61- 60 win.

The Hawks came out of the starting gate with defensive intensity and led 14-10 following the opening quarter. The Lions then cranked up their three-point shooting to take a 27-24 halftime advantage. Rosa Fort hit 15 threes on the night, 10 of those by Carlos Smith for all 30 of his gamehigh points.

The lead swapped hands a few times in the third with Rosa Fort taking a 41-39 advantage to the final quarter. Holly Springs turned it up a notch to start the fourth and was on top 52-43 with 4:00 left. But two minutes later, the Lions had tied the game at 54 and then escaped enemy territory with the victory.

Joseph Petty and Christopher Hale were the top scorers for Holly Springs, each with 13. Petty had nine in the second half and Hale 10 in the fourth quarter. Jeffries followed with 12 points, and Jasiah Johnson added 11.