By Jesse Deal, for the SNAP

With 35 seconds left on the clock, a clutch 3-pointer by Cox Mill junior Jeanie Hall broke a tie game and helped hand the Chargers the Laurie Ann Cruise Christmas Classic championship over Albemarle.

The Bulldogs (10-1, 3-0) suffered their first loss of the season in the Chargers’ 51-46 tournament victory, which was hosted at Mount Pleasant High School.

“This is the worst we’ve shot as a team in two years,” Albemarle coach Eric Davis said.

Albemarle outscored Cox Mill (6-6, 0-0) in each of their first three quarters, but a strong fourth quarter bolstered by Hall (who had a team-high 16 points) powered the Chargers to the win.

Hall was one of nine Chargers to score in the match-up. Junior forward Nya Tillery had 11 points while senior forward Kayla Smith added seven of her own. Juniors Kelsey Holmes and Chloe Rivera each contributed valuable bench play with nine combined points.

Meanwhile, senior guards Armani Baldwin and Zycoria Tillman, who each had a team-high 14 points, led the Bulldogs in scoring. Kiana Ridley and Kristyn Mclendon notched eight points each.

Despite trailing by three at halftime (25-22), the Chargers jumped out to a 10-point run in the third to go ahead by seven. The Bulldogs responded with an 11-point run of their own to reclaim the lead but soon lost it again.

Albemarle was 10-for-19 from the free-throw stripe while the Chargers were 12-for-21 from the line.

The Bulldogs were coming off a 69-65 overtime win over Concord (5-8, 0-0) and a 37-point landslide win over the Greater Cabarrus Stallions (1-9, 1-2) the previous two days. The Chargers advanced to the finals via a 56-40 win over Mount Pleasant (2-8, 0-0) and a 25-point win over South Stanly (5-6, 2-2).

Albemarle will travel to West Montgomery (0-6, 0-3) for a contest on Wednesday, while Cox Mills will face West Stanly (3-6, 0-0) at home on Thursday; the Colts have lost four of their last four games.

BOX SCORE

CM 13 9 12 17 51
A 16 9 11 10 46

CM – Jeanie Hall 16, Nya Tillery 11, Smith 7,
Holmes 5, Rivera 4, Parks 2, Webb 2,
Wilson 2, Sedergren 2

A – Armani Baldwin 14, Zycoria Tillman 14,
Ridley 8, Mclendon 8, Wall 2