Battled with composure is what Ryan Yates had to say about his Verona Lady Wildcats after the two teams vied for the Class 1 District 6 championship title on March 5. The two teams were neck and neck in the first half, and it all came down to the fourth quarter.

Verona’s defense did a good job of denying Walnut Grove open shots, but Walnut Grove’s defense denied the Lady Wildcats the opportunity to drive the lane, which is key to Verona’s offense. The Lady Wildcats adjusted in the second half to pull the trigger on three-pointers and to maintain the lead.

The fast-paced game opened with Walnut Grove scoring on a layup, but Jessica Smith tied it at two. The teams again tied at five with a three-pointer by Smith. Beth Bigham added a three-pointer of her own in the first quarter, while Smith added another four points in the quarter.

Verona led by seven at the end of the first quarter with the score set at 17-10 with other Verona points coming from Jenna Chadd, who made a layup at the buzzer. After having a sluggish game in the semifinal round of districts, Verona looked more like the successful team it was in the regular season.

The second quarter started with Verona scoring on a three-pointer by Bigham, but the Lady Tigers pulled back within two before the half. Early foul trouble forced Verona to bench Jori Dodson with three fouls midway through the second quarter.

Verona started taking rushed shots in the second quarter, while Walnut Grove made free throws and two-pointers. The two teams closed the half with Verona narrowly leading 23-21.

The third quarter started with the two teams exchanging the lead, but a three-pointer by Smith and a layup by Tristan Carrasquillo put Verona up by four. The Lady Wildcats continued to inch ahead with Bigham and Chadd adding two points each.

Again foul trouble put Walnut Grove within points and setting the score at 34-30. Bigham scored on a rebound with about one minute and half left in the third quarter. Neither team would score the rest of the quarter, leaving Verona up 38-30.

That eight-point lead was all the Lady Wildcats needed to maintain their composure and the lead. Walnut Grove struggled to close the point gap, but Verona continued to put up baskets and free throws. Verona didn’t stay out of foul trouble in the fourth quarter, including Dodson fouling out.

The last half of the quarter consisted of fouling on both ends of the floor. Smith went to the mostly for Verona. She racked up six free throws in the fourth quarter..

“We beat a good team,” Yates said. “We were fortunate to win.”

Yates said the girls showed great composure and battled right back in the second half. He said the Lady Wildcats’ defense also battled to ensure the win.

Verona’s 58-45 win over Walnut Grove puts the Lady Wildcats in Class 1 sectionals on March 9. Verona faces Humansville with game time set at 6 p.m. at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar