While the McKenzie varsity squad struggled through the Red Level Christmas Tournament, their female counterparts worked their way into a trophy game.

The Lady Tigers knocked off their first opponent, the host team Red Level by the score of 52-19.

Red Level was never in the game from the opening tipoff.

The blue-clad Lady Tigers took an early lead and at the end of the first quarter had stretched that lead to 15-6.

They jumped out to the lead thanks to La'Sha Pitt's eight points in the first quarter.

The nine-point margin was as close as Red Level got to taking the lead from the Lady Tigers.

McKenzie stretched their lead to 12 at the half, 29-17.

In the second half, it was all McKenzie.

The Lady Tigers held the home team to two points in the second half of the game.

Red Level's leading scorers had six points each.

Quita Galloway and Starla Jones accounted for 63 percent of the Lady Tigers offense during their first round game.

For the Lady Tigers, Pitts was the leading scorer with 12 points. Carrena Davison added seven and Amber Rudolph, Kassie Everett and Alicia Crenshaw finished the first round game with six points each.

Their first round victory advanced the squad into the second round where they faced the Lady Gamecocks of New Brocton.

The game was close, but the Lady Tiger scoring hit a brick wall in the second quarter when New Brocton posted a 13-1 second quarter.

McKenzie's lone point was scored by Akeia Owens.

Owens hit the second half of a pair of free throws.

McKenzie jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, 12-6.

But the Lady Gamecocks posted the 13-1 second quarter and that pushed them ahead 19-12. The Lady Tigers never regained the lead.

The did however cut it to four to end the their period, 29-25.

But, the Lady Gamecocks put the pressure on and pushed their lead to a game final of 45-41.

With the loss, the Lady Tigers were taken out of the running for first and second place.

But, by virtue of how the bracket is set up, if a team advanced into the second round, they are automatically entered into the third place game.

With that said, the Lady Tigers took the court Thursday against Paxton (Fla) High.

The squad from the sunshine state picked up a first round victory over Andalusia but was dismissed into the consolation final by Samson.

Against Paxton the Lady Tigers were never able to get their offense rolling.

Paxton jumped out to an early lead and shut down the Lady Tigers in the first quarter, 14-0.

Everything was down hill from there.

Paxton expanded their 14 point lead to 33 at the end of the first half when they went into the locker room firmly in control of the game with 38-5 lead at the half.

McKenzie was allowed one basket in the third quarter and at the end of the period were still in the single digits in scoring, 59-7.

But, when the final horn blew to mercifully end the route, the Lady Tigers had doubled their point production from the previous three quarters.

Paxton walked away with the third place trophy and a 76-16 victory.

Paxton High was led in scoring by Jessica Fink's 18 points.

Marylynn Gilbert and Kim Joiner also contributed to the victory with 10 points each.

For the Lady Tigers, Carenna Davison was the leading scorer with eight points.

She was followed in scoring by Owens with five points.

McKenzie will be back in action the first week of January when they face Brantley High School, Kinsey High School and Pleasant Home Home High School. All three of the games are set to be area games and will determine who hosts the area tournament at

the end of the regular season

Games are set to tip at 4:30 p.m.