Times-Journal Correspondent

The playoffs are getting closer and the Selma High School Lady Saints are getting ready.

Erica Lumpkin’s basket in the closing moments Tuesday night gave the Lady Saints a 57-55 comeback victory over the ninth-ranked Jeff Davis Lady Rebels at the Selma High School gym.

The victory tied Selma with Jeff Davis for the Class 6A, Area 4 lead.

With the game tied at 55, senior Santana Seay passed to Lumpkin, who was open in the corner. The sophomore unloaded the tie-breaking shot as 10th-ranked Selma improved to 16-3 overall and 7-1 in the area.

Freshman Gabrielle Goudy, who played with two broken fingers, put the Lady Saints ahead by 10 when Seay hit her with a backdoor pass en route to an easy lay-up and a 32-22 Selma lead.

Jeff Davis, however, would not go away. Led by 6-foot, 8-inch Cassie Moore, the Lady Vols hung around. Moore knocked down an 8-footer, while her teammate scored on a lay-up to bring Jeff Davis back to within four. Moore finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Selma senior point guard Ashley Green, who scored 21 points, sank a pair of free throws and Lumpkin went the length of the court for a running lay-up, but Jeff Davis got its third steal and lay-up of the third period to take a 39-38 lead.

The Lady Vols went up 41-38 with 1:46 to go in the third, but Lumpkin hit a long three-pointer to tie the game at 41.

Moments later, Green found Goudy for an easy lay-up and Selma enjoyed a 46-42 lead going into the final period.

“We came to play tonight,” Selma coach Anthony Harris said. “We got a little shaky with the ball, but Lumpkin rocked them to sleep and Green harassed their guards all night.

“Goudy has eight good fingers and two are broken,” Harris added. “But we’re tied for first in the area. Can you smell it? It’s March Madness.”

Lumpkin finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Seay added four points and four rebounds, while Amina Wofford chipped in three points, four rebounds and five assists.

The Lady Saints will travel to Montgomery on Friday to play the Carver Lady Wolverines.