The Canton Eaglettes capped off another winning week with a second-place finish in the 18th annual Winnsboro Hoopfest Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 3. Overall, the Eaglettes went 5-1 on the week, with wins over Saltillo, Whitehouse, Malakoff, Mount Pleasant (Chapel Hill), and Edgewood, and their only loss coming in the championship game to the hosting Winnsboro Lady Raiders.

Prior to tournament play, the Eaglettes traveled to Saltillo for a warm-up game, to face the Lady Lions in what would prove to be a thriller. Both teams kept pace through the end of regulation, resulting in the Eaglettes first overtime match of the season. Canton would prevail in the extra period, outscoring the Lady Lions by six to capture a 70-64 win.

Senior Amari Welch, who recently surpassed the 1,000 point mark in her career, finished with a triple-double, stuffing the statsheet with 30 points, 11 assists, and 10 steals.

The Eaglettes would return to the hardwood on Thursday, Dec. 1 for their first action in the Winnsboro Hoopfest, slated against Whitehouse.

After a slow start, the Eaglettes would return to form following the halftime break, pulling away from the Wildcats late en route to a 42-36 victory.

The Eaglettes would take care of business in pesky matchups against Malakoff and Mt. Pleasant Chapel Hill, as defense took center stage in both wins.

While Tuesday’s matchup against Saltillo saw the Eaglettes as a team score 70 total points, both matchups failed to eclipse 60 points combined, as Canton escaped with wins of 31-26 and 29-26, respectfully.

With three tournament wins to their name, the Eaglettes advanced to the semifinals to take on what was once a familiar foe in cross-county rival, Edgewood.

The Lady Bulldogs, as they have been in recent years, remain a force in 3A, and entered the matchup with Canton ranked ninth in the state.

The Eaglettes quickly found themselves in a heavyweight fight, as both teams delivered haymakers deep into the contest.

Down 31-23 late in the third quarter, Canton would go on a 13-1 run to stun the Lady Bulldogs, 36-32. In the tournament’s championship game, the Eaglettes struggled through the first quarter and never were able to regain their footing, falling to the tournament’s host, Winnsboro, 63-26.

The Eaglettes were slated to return home on Tuesday, Dec. 6 for a contest against the Caddo Mills Lady Foxes. They will then welcome in Lufkin for another home bout on Friday, Dec. 9 at 6:15 p.m.