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RUTLEDGE – Even though the Grainger Lady Grizzlies won their consolation game in the district tournament against Volunteer Monday night, head coach Rusty Bishop wasn’t a happy camper.

“We just weren’t very good tonight,” the Lady Grizz boss said after his team seemed to sleepwalk through a 57-45 victory over the Lady Falcons. “We didn’t have a lot of energy and I guess if you are looking for an excuse for that, maybe it was because we weren’t in school today. I just didn’t like our energy and thought we were terrible offensively and I can see that when looking at the stats as we were 8-of-31 from two-point range. Just not very good.”

Adison Hayes and Jaylee Hayes had 13 of Grainger’s 15 points in the first period and the Lady Grizz were able to get a double-digit lead early in the second when McKinley Mills hit a jumper to make it 22-11. Vol kept things close after that with a pair of three-pointers and success at the free throw line as they only trailed 30-23 at the half.

Grainger extended their advantage in the third on triples by Adison Hayes and Brookelyn Roach but Vol answered with eight straight points to make things closer. Early in the fourth, the Lady Falcons narrowed the score to 42-39 when Preslee Davis hit a three but the Lady Grizz responded with seven points in a 51-second span to once again surge ahead by double digits. Grainger’s last six points came at the line as they were finally able to put away the Lady Falcons, 57-45.

Adison Hayes led Grainger in scoring with 17 points. Roach added 13. Elisabeth Byington had 12 points for Volunteer.

“We didn’t take care of the basketball and there were too many bad decisions,” Bishop said. “We got lost too many times in the third period and they made us pay for it. That is a credit to Volunteer’s coaches as they had their players ready. I’m disappointed with our intensity in a game we needed to win. We just didn’t play hard enough and I can’t say that about this team too many times this year.”

Grainger will hit the road on Friday for a matchup at Elizabethton in the first round of the regional tournament. If they win that one, they will return to The Den for the rest of the regionals. They will take on a Lady Cyclones squad that won’t be an easy out according to Bishop.

“It’s a quality opponent, a team we have met over the last several years. It will be a tough place to play since we dug ourself a hole by losing in the first round of the district. I told our girls that if this is the same team tonight that shows up on Friday night, our season will be over. If we play well, we will give ourselves a chance against a very well coached team. It will take our best effort to get ourselves back here for the regional tournament.”