In the finally of the evening, both Varsity teams took to the court in anticipation of another classic Athens vs Troy game. Both teams didn't disappoint the huge crowd. The Athens faithful traveled in droves to fill up the south end of the bleachers with a large contingent of students making the trip and cheering from the start. The Colts crowd filled up the north side bleachers with their own student cheering section but couldn't match the enthusiasm that the Athens faithful showed. The energy in the gym was palpable and you could cut the tension with a knife, because both teams knew what was on the line, an early lead at the top of the division and a win against their archrivals. The game started out quickly as both teams came out pressing but neither team could score until the 6:30 mark when Senior guard Kata Tasich nails a triple to start the scoring. Both teams traded free throws, but the RedHawks went on an 8-2 run to take a 12-6 lead only to see the Colts cut that lead down late to make it 14-11 for the visitors after 1-quarter. Freshman Gabby Bieniek had 4 points to lead the RedHawks in the quarter. The Colts opened up the scoring in the 2nd and took their 1st lead of the game 4 minutes into the quarter, only to see the RedHawks fight back and take a 22-19 lead going into halftime by a 3-pointer from Gabby. The frantic pace played out again thru the 3rd quarter with both teams playing up tempo but not scoring at a consistent pace. Athens opens up the scoring in the 3rd only to see the Colts score 4 straight to trail by 1. The RedHawks went on a late 6-3 run to take a 32-26 lead heading into the 4th quarter. The Lady RedHawks put the pressure on in the 4th by outscoring the home team 13-4 in a 4-minute span to take a 15-point lead with 1:45 left in the game. The Colts outscored the RedHawks 8-1 that last 1:45, but it wasn't enough as our ladies came away with a 46-38 victory over their archrivals. Gabby Bieniek (14 points, 5 rebounds & 5 steals) and Kata Tasich (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals & 1 assist) were the only players in double figures from either team. "We played a strong game defensively and held their best players down," said Gabby. "We were all looking for each other and played well as a team," added Kata. Katie Malone (8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists & 1 block) & Laityn Dennis (6 points, 6 rebounds & 1 assist) also were key contributors. "The team brought great energy, we kept calm and didn't get down on ourselves, that's what I was most proud of from our team tonight," said Katie. Madison Stencel 5 rebounds & 2 steals) and Annabelle Beaubien (4 rebounds, 5 assists & 1 block) both had 3 points apiece. The ladies thought that their defense was the key to the victory along with their unselfishness on the offensive end. The win raises the Lady RedHawks record to 10-3 overall and 3-0 in the league. Great game ladies!