Fort Dale Academy was entrenched in a back-and-forth battle with a stalwart Tuscaloosa Academy Lady Knights team for three quarters, but the Lady Eagles ran out of gas in the final moments as the Lady Knights proclaimed a 31-17 victory.

The first quarter was a stalemate—both teams scored a combined total of 10 points—as nerves and a bit of recklessness possessed the Lady Knights and Lady Eagles’ offenses.

Tuscaloosa Academy was the first to get the ball rolling, however, thanks largely to the inside presence of senior center Mackenzie Smelley.

But Tucker Whiddon was able to break free in transition in the quarter’s final moments to close the gap with a buzzer-beater layup to cut the Fort Dale deficit to only two points.

A much more aggressive Lady Eagles showed up in the second quarter, thanks to constant attacks  at the basket from Madison Langford.

Madison Ann Gaston’s soft touch from the top of the key inched the Lady Eagles closer, and Langford’s physicality earned her a trip to the line to tie the game with two free throws.

Anjoy Castleberry followed suit, earning another trip to the charity strike and taking the lead for the Lady Eagles with 4:10 remaining in the half.

But the Lady Knights responded in kind with a run to close the quarter with a  four-point cushion and, more importantly, momentum heading into the locker rooms.

Trouble reared its ugly head for the Lady Eagles throughout the third, as turnovers plagued Fort Dale’s offense.

The Lady Eagles faced a reenergized Lady Knights defense that picked off nearly every pass that lingered in the air a hair too long.

Without the ability to safely pass the ball to its biggest height advantage and playmaker in the post, Ashton Scott, the Lady Eagles team struggled to find points elsewhere for much of the third.

But Castleberry connected on an excellent pass down low to Scott later in the fourth that injected some much-needed life into the Lady Eagles’ offense.

Gaston would connect soon after on another jumper to close the now-sizeable Lady Knights lead to just six with only minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

But the Fort Dale defense collapsed as Tuscaloosa found Smelley on a number of easy baskets at point-blank range, putting the lead back at double digits and just out of reach for the Lady Eagles with too little time remaining to turn the tide.