For the second game in a row, the Porters Chapel Academy Lady Eagles lost a close, hard-fought game that they had a chance to win — and they were OK with that.

Ladarrya Norris scored all 12 of Tallulah Academy’s points in overtime, and finished with 21 for the game, as the Lady Trojans beat PCA 54-49 on Monday.

It was PCA’s second loss in a row by five points or less. It lost by three last Thursday against Riverfield Academy, which coincidentally is the team it will play in the first round of the District 3-AAA tournament on Tuesday night. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. at Riverfield, located in Rayville, La.

PCA coach Amanda Yocum saw enough good things in both recent losses to be encouraged heading into Tuesday’s elimination game.

“I feel like we played two very good games, with very similar styles of play. We did a lot of the same things both games. So I feel like that’s going to be an advantage for us,” Yocum said. “Hopefully we’re going to go over there and continue to do good things. If they’ll come back tomorrow and play like they did today, I’ll have no complaints no matter what the outcome is.”

PCA will head into the postseason with a 9-14 record — not spectacular by most measures, but a major step forward for a program that had about that many wins in the past seven years combined.

The Lady Eagles have also shown some grit in their losses, like on Monday. They trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter before rallying to tie it twice in the final minute of regulation. Kaylee Hinson hit a layup with 48 seconds left, and then Hannah Embry made another basket with four seconds to go to send the game into overtime tied at 42.

Hinson scored nine of her team-high 12 points in the fourth quarter, and Embry finished with six points. Anna Grace White added 10 points.

Senior Rheagan Smith only scored four points, but contributed eight rebounds. Emmy-Lu Marsh scored 10 points for Tallulah.

“We’ve lost several games by three points this year. I know people think losing is losing, and it is, but for us to be scoring 40 and 50 points a game, you would have never thought that four or five years ago,” Yocum said. “So I’m very proud of the way they have endured. I’m especially proud of that senior group, because they’ve really set the bar and set the standard. Without them being here, you’re probably still developing a little bit. Now you have some ninth and 10th graders that have somebody to look up to.”

The first couple of minutes of overtime were back-and-forth, but Tallulah finally gained control in the last minute. Norris hit two baskets on consecutive possessions to put the Lady Trojans ahead 52-49 with 18.1 seconds left. PCA had a chance to tie, but missed a 3-pointer with five seconds to go.

Tallulah grabbed the rebound, and Norris was fouled and hit both free throws with a half-second left on the clock to seal it.

“That loss, I feel, was on us. We went to a man-to-man at the end and a couple of people didn’t have their man. That’s why we gave them those easy, open baskets,” Yocum said. “I’m not blaming any one person, it’s just in man-to-man if you don’t have yours then somebody’s open.”

(B) PCA 32, Tallulah 30

Jake Arias scored 14 points, Glenn Alan Kittrell added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Porter’s Chapel’s boys’ team won its first game in nearly a month by beating Tallulah Academy on Monday.
Kittrell hit two free throws with 13 seconds left to give PCA the lead, and then Tallulah missed two shots on the other end that could have sent the game to overtime.

Ty Scheufle led Tallulah with 13 points.

PCA will play Central Hinds in an elimination game in the District 3-AAA tournament Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Riverfield Academy.