fayette — After being forced to wait to take the court due to inclement weather, the Jefferson County Lady Tigers were eager to resume action Thursday in the opening round of the MHSAA Class 3A playoffs.

“The girls played well,” Jefferson County head coach Flora McKnight said. “Considering they had been off four days and waiting to play, they played well.”

The Lady Tigers were able to take down McLaurin 65-49, and will take on Forest at home tonight in the next round.

Antrell Gales led Jefferson County with 23 points and Kailyn Hammett chipped in with 12 points.

“Antrell played like Antrell always plays,” McKnight said. “She has a natural feel for the basketball. She is always in the right place at the right time, constantly moving. She scores a lot of points for us and gets offensive rebounds and put backs.”

McKnight said the win was big for Jefferson County, not only because it extends their season, but also gives their young roster playoff experience.

“For the girls, it is great to win,” McKnight said. “It is all about them. This isn’t my first time, and hopefully won’t be my last. We’ve got a lot of young people on this team, and this kind of win will make them confident to go higher. Those ladies are on the move, and there is no stopping us now.”

McAdams 67, Cathedral 50

McADAMS — The Cathedral Lady Wave were faced with a daunting test in the first round of the MHSAA Class 1A playoffs, having to travel to the No. 2 seed McAdams who boasted a 21-5 record.

Despite putting up what head coach Randy Smith called a valiant effort, Cathedral fell short, 67-50.

“We left our hearts out there on the court,” Smith said. “I’m proud of the way the kids played, going to play a No. 2 ranked team on the road.”

McKenzie Milligan led the way for Cathedral with 19 points, but was the only Lady Wave player in double-digits. Mackenzie Watts and Elizabeth Smith both finished with eight points.

Cathedral held their own in the first quarter, but the wheels fell off in the second as McAdams outscored the Lady Wave 21-12.

“We had it tied up after the first quarter, but just missed some crucial free throws and shots,” Smith said. “They had some tall girls that contested our shots.”

Cathedral tried to claw back in the second half, but were unable to dig themselves out of the hole.

“We never gave up,” Smith said. “We tried to out quick them, but couldn’t get layups to fall.”

Although the season is over, Smith said he is proud of what his team accomplished.

“This is one of the best seasons we’ve had in quite a while,” he said. “The girls are proud of what they did. Everybody had their head up. We’re proud of the seniors and this whole team.”