The Blue Mountain Lady Cougars are headed to the third round of the MHSAA Class 1A State Basketball Championship after a thrilling 44-38 victory over West Tallahatchie, capped by a dominant late-game surge.
In a tightly contested second-round matchup, West Tallahatchie grabbed an early 8-7 lead after the first quarter. But Blue Mountain senior Beiga Foote quickly made her presence felt in the second quarter, drilling a clutch 3-pointer to give the Lady Cougars a 12-10 advantage midway through the period. At that point, Foote had accounted for all but two of Blue Mountain’s points.
By halftime, Blue Mountain held a 16-12 lead, powered by 13 first-half points from Foote, who continued to attack offensively and carry the scoring load.
The battle intensified in the second half. Blue Mountain clung to a narrow 32-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but faced adversity as Foote picked up her fourth foul. With 44.5 seconds remaining, West Tallahatchie had surged ahead 38-34, putting the Lady Cougars on the brink.
That is when Blue Mountain responded.
The Lady Cougars closed the game on a decisive 10-0 run to seal the 44-38 win. Foote finished with a game-high 23 points, including five in the closing stretch. Dynasty Prather added 15 points, scoring five during the final run to help secure the comeback victory.
Blue Mountain, now 22-8 overall and a perfect 5-0 in district play this season, continues its strong campaign after averaging nearly 50 points per game (1,484 total points scored). West Tallahatchie, which entered the contest at 17-11 overall, saw its season come to an end despite a competitive effort throughout.
With momentum on their side, the Lady Cougars now advance to Round 3, set to begin Wednesday at Itawamba Community College.
Blue Mountain is one step closer to a state championship — and showing it has the resilience to handle pressure when it matters most.
