Thompson girls fall to Hoover

Published 8:38 am Monday, January 9, 2023

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By SETH HAGAN | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – The Thompson Warriors girls basketball team is off to its best start in several years, but their momentum stalled as they began area play against the top-ranked Hoover Buccaneers. The Bucs had their 19-game winning streak ended before the new year, but got back on track quickly pulling away from Thompson on the road for a 64-21 win Friday, January 6.

Hoover (20-1) began the contest by shooting lights out and forcing turnovers to build a 14-0 lead from the jump. Playing against a Buccaneer team with tons of height, Thompson’s eighth-grader center Jayla Forbes played well beyond her years scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds in the first quarter. The Warriors closed the gap to 17-7 off a bucket from Forbes, but headed into the second period down 13.

The pace slowed considerably before the half. Dasia Huynh and Natalie French scored two points each for Thompson, but the Bucs added 14 more points in the second quarter to take a 34-11 lead into the locker room. Jayla Forbes was hobbled for much of the game after rolling an ankle but later returned to the game in a gutsy performance with six points and eight rebounds.

Hyunh and French also added baskets in the third quarter, but Hoover proved too much in the paint and from downtown the rest of the way. The defense was suffocating as well, holding Thompson to just 10 points in the second half.