By Bryan App

Sports Writer

HANCEVILLE —Brooks responded every time Priceville tried to pull away this afternoon at the Northwest Regional Class 4A girls high school basketball tournament.

The Lions couldn’t ever get over the hump, though, settling for long 3-point attempts when they got in striking distance, including some hurried possessions down the stretch that doomed Brooks in a 64-57 season-ending loss.

Priceville (14-17), which lost seven of its first eight games this season, advances to the regional final to play tonight's Good Hope-West Limestone winner on Saturday with a berth in the state final four on the line.

Brooks (13-18) cut a 16-point first-half deficit to one in the third quarter and again whittled an 11-point Priceville lead to 60-57 on Deanna Thompson’s hand-in-her-face 3 from the right corner with 1:03 to play.

The Bulldogs then missed four straight free throws, but the Lions misfired on three more 3-pointers, including a 25-footer by K’maya Roach on a potentially game-tying possession. Priceville scored the game’s final four points to seal the win.

Roach sank 3 of 8 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points, eight assists and six steals to lead the Lions.

Her basket with 3:12 left in the third quarter capped a 14-4 Brooks run that pulled the Lions within 40-39.

Priceville, which made 5 of 15 3-pointers in the game, found its touch briefly, sinking three during a 2-minute stretch to key a 12-2 run that put the Bulldogs ahead 52-41 with 1 minute left in the third quarter.

As it did during its third-quarter run, Brooks used its press defense to create easy baskets as it pulled within four with 3:38 to play before Thompson’s 3 made it a 3-point game in the final minute.

Thompson finished with 17 points.

Priceville had 21 turnovers but outrebounded Brooks 57-40, and its bench outscored the Lions' 16-4.

Priceville’s Jada Beverly matched Roach’s game-high 20 points. Molly Thompson added 10 points for the Bulldogs, and Katie Barker had nine points and 13 rebounds.

Bryan App can be reached at 256-740-5730 or bryan.app@TimesDaily.com.