COLUMBIA---The Tullahoma Lady Wildcats jumped to a 13-4 lead over Columbia’s Lady Lions after one period Friday night before Columbia caught fire and roared back for a 53-39 win.

Lady Wildcat sophomore Chrissi Edens battles Columbia's Lateira Owens for a rebound during Friday night's game as Andrea Cutshaw, left, and Kristen Vance close in on the action.

  The Lady Cats appeared to have the Lady Lions stumped in the first quarter with a zone defense that forced a series of misfires from outside. On the other end, Tullahoma used good ball movement and a deft shooting touch to take the nine-point lead.
  But, Columbia changed the game around in the second quarter, starting with 10 straight points to take a 14-13 lead. The shot to give the Lady Lions the lead was a three-pointer by Ellie Foster, who went on to hit three treys in the second quarter and five for the game.
  It was 20-17 Columbia at the half, but post player Lateira Owens took over in the third period with 10 points while Foster and Rachel Peery were adding a three-pointer each to stretch the lead to 40-21 going to the final stanza.
  Columbia scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to take a 49-21 lead, but the Lady Wildcats continued to battle and managed to get the score to a more respectable level before it was over.
  Holly Kiser, who led Tullahoma with 11 points, also led the fourth-quarter rally with seven points, and sophomore guard Sammie Jo Jackson added four points, including a three-pointer. Erica Gilbert, who scored nine in the game, also scored four in the final period.
Sophomore starter Emily Gilbert did not play in the game. She required stitches to her upper lip after a collision in Tuesday night’s game against Franklin County. Coach Katie Galloway hopes to have her back in uniform by Friday night.
  The loss keeps the Lady Cats winless in district play at 0-8 while Columbia improves to 4-4 and moves into a tie for fourth place with Franklin County. Tullahoma’s next district contest will be Friday night against the red-hot Lawrence County Lady Wildcats, who handed Shelbyville its first district loss Friday night at Shelbyville.

Lady Wildcats (39) Erica Stewart, 9; Varonica Stewart, 2; Sammie Jo Jackson, 4; Holly Kiser, 11; Desiree Seay, 1; Kristen Vance, 6; Andrea Cutshaw, 4; Chrissi Edens, 2.
Columbia (53) Peery, 6; Sparkman, 4; Lateira Owens, 18; Claybourne, 3; Ellie Foster, 17; Lampley, 5.