Senior Haley Burke scored a game-high 14 points and junior Anna Newton added 13 as Bulloch Academy defeated Robert Toombs Christian Academy, 55-24, Thursday night in the final game of the sixth annual Lady Gator Classic basketball tournament.
    Bulloch (2-0) amassed an incredible 29-0 lead by the end of the first eight minutes of play. The bigger and more physical Lady Gators ran a tight man defense and used a smothering backcourt press to hold the Lady Crusaders (0-2) scoreless in the first quarter.
    In other action, Trinity Christian School of Dublin withstood a late Frederica Academy challenge to take a 27-20 win in the first game of the night. In the second game, Bible Baptist of Savannah also withstood a late fourth-quarter rally to beat David Emanuel Academy, 35-27.
    In the night’s finale, the Lady Gators could seemingly do no wrong on offense or defense in the first quarter. Bulloch scored at will and from all over the court. Burke nailed two threes, Newton canned her short jumpers, Lauren Dennard drove home two long shots and Taylor Collins had a couple of putbacks. In the eight-minute span, Burke scored seven, Newton and Collins had six each and Dennard added four.
    RTCA could seemingly do no right. Its shots bounced in and around the rim and its passes were intercepted or deflected. RTCA couldn’t get rebounds because Collins, Newton and Burke cleared out the middle on both ends of the court.
    The lead reached 30 points early in the second quarter when Newton hit one of two free throws. RTCA got on the scoreboard when Caylie Burton pushed in a layup with 4:40 left in the half.
    BA head coach Paul Webb substituted freely and the Lady Gators took a 39-6 lead into the lockerrom.
    The Lady Crusaders started off the third with gusto, attacking Bulloch on both offense and defense. The BA girls seemed a little stunned as RTCA outscored them, 9-6, to cut the lead to 35-15.
    Bulloch’s starters didn’t play in the fourth quarter as Webb played his second and third units. Sophomore Ashlee Lanier netted six points and freshman Pate Lomax added four.
    Senior Carmen Findley and junior Megan Orrell led RTCA with four points each.
    In the opener, Taylor Shriver scored 10 points and Sydney Bozeman had seven to lead the Lady Crusaders to their second victory of the season. Mary Ellen Shuman led the Lady Knights with eight.
    Jerica Burnett scored a game-high 15 points in the DEA-Bible Baptist game but it wasn’t enough to overcome an extremely slow start. The Lady Braves led 10-7 at intermission and outscored the Lady Eagles 15-9 in the third to try and pull away.
    But DEA kept it close and rallied in the fourth, cutting the lead to 28-25 on a Burnett three-point play with 3:04 left to play. A Burnett three-footer with 1:19 left kept the score close at 31-27. But Bible Baptist hit two shots late for the win.
    Lyndsey Conley led the Lady Braves with 10 points, Martayshia Brown had nine points and Alyssa Whitford added eight points.
    BA  will travel to play Beaufort Academy on Monday. The Lady Gators will play at Hilton Head Christian on Tuesday in varsity and B-team games.