RUCE – Hatley’s Lydia Barker apologized to Hamilton coach Murray Woody after her Lady Tigers beat his team 57-15 in an opening game of the Division 2-2A Tournament on Tuesday night. She hit her third 3-pointer of the first half as Hatley took a 21-6 lead.

The Lady Tigers cruised on to a second-round game against Calhoun City on Thursday.

“She hit about three 3s in a row and it forced (Hamilton) to come out and put pressure on her,” Hatley coach Terry Walters said. “It weakened their defense. That would have happened to anybody.”

Barker scored a game-high 14 points, 12 on four 3s in the first half as Hatley (14-11) led 34-6 at the break.

“You can look through the books the last three years. The games Lydia has played against me, she’s had really good night,” Woody said. “She gets up for Hamilton.”

Hannah Howell scored nine points for the Lady Lions (2-19).

Hatley will face Calhoun City at 4 p.m. Thursday. The Lady Wildcats won the regular season game by 14 points.

“We’ve got to play solid defense and not turn the ball over,” Walters said. “We can’t give them layups if we expect to be in that ballgame.”

(B) East Webster 65, Hamilton 64

n Jamie McKee hit four 3-pointers in the second half, none bigger than the one he hit fading away at the buzzer in a last-second win.

Hamilton had fought back from a nine-point deficit with 6 minutes to play and led 60-58 on freshman Ben Seely’s putback and free throw.

Miguel Graham had 23 for East Webster. Cojuante McMillian led Hamilton with 21 points. Seely had 13.

(B) Bruce 105, Hatley 55

n Shaq Bush caught fire for eight 3-pointers in the second and third periods and the host Trojans took a commanding 54-23 lead.

Bruce scored 36 second-period points.

Bush scored a game-high 32 points and Bruce also got 16 from Rod Harris, 15 from Dentris Evans and 13 from Devin Tillman.

Justin Walden scored 15 points to pace Hatley. Chris Tartt added another 14 and Demarcus Hampton added 10 for the Tigers.

(G) W. Lowndes 38, East Webster 16

n Cory Nevills scored 12 points for West Lowndes. Katesa Deas had eight for East Webster.

Division 4-1A

(B)Smithville 60, Tremont 31

n VARDAMAN – Smithville’s boys advanced with a 60-31 win against Tremont, its fourth against the Eagles this season. Datrune Freeman had 12 points for Smithville (19-5).

Smithville won the first meeting by a point, the last three handily.

“It was one you just had to win. I felt pretty good going in, but there’s always that matter a of doubt, especially when in the first game we just beat them by one and probably shouldn’t have at that.”

Nine Seminoles scored in the win.

Smithville faces West Oktibbeha Thursday. West Oktibbeha won the regular season meeting by nine.

(G) West Oktibbeha 77, Smithville 31

n West Oktibbeha scored the game’s first 10 points and got four players in double figures, led by Joslyn Beford’s 18 points. Brenisha Brownlee scored 15 points, Shamia Robinson 14 and Brittany Jones 12.

Kelsi Watson and Kami Roberts scored 10 points apiece for Smithville.