Frank Speziale Photo

OXFORD – After two days of well-played basketball at the Blackhawk nest, the Greene Lady Trojans took home the Al Doyle Tournament title by taking down the Lady Warriors of Walton in the championship game last Friday.

Before getting to the championship game, Greene topped Afton while Walton defeated the tournament host Lady Blackhawks.

In the first varsity game of the afternoon, the Lady Trojans faced the Crimson Knights. Greene controlled the tempo of the game from the start, jumping out to a 19-8 lead after the first eight minutes of play with four of the team’s field goals coming from Emma Smith’s inside play.

Both teams struggled to score in the second quarter but the Trojans came out at the half to produce a balanced scoring front, dropping 13 in the third with six different players recording a basket.

In the fourth, Katelynn Pratt put six points of her own towards the Greene total on the score board. She finished the night with nine while teammate Alyssa Sands added four in the quarter and recorded 11 in the afternoon session.

Smith led all scorers in the contest with 12 points. But that wouldn’t be the end of her stellar performance in the tournament.

The Lady Blackhawks gave Walton a tough run in the evening event as the two teams entered the fourth quarter with just a three point differential between them.

Oxford’s Hannah Ryan had a quiet nine points heading into the final eight minutes, while her teammate Allison Beckwith added all of her seven in the third as both kept the Lady Blackhawks within reach.

Between the play of McKenzie Clough and Olivia Hardy for the Lady Warriors, Walton took the slight advantage into the fourth.

While Clough added another six in the period, it was Walton’s Jordynn Palmatier and Kylee Wiggans knocked down long-range threes to extend the lead for the Warriors. Walton outscored the Blackhawks 21-6 in the final quarter, advancing to face Greene in the finals.

Ryan finished for a season-high and team leading 14 in the loss for Oxford. Clough tallied a game high 20 while Hardy added 17 for the Warriors in the winning effort.

Oxford and Afton met in the consolation game before the final on Friday evening.