The Forrest Lady Rockets are getting used to the dramatic ending after pulling out their second consecutive post-season overtime win as they travelled to Houston County Friday night and came away with a 47-43 triumph over the Lady Irish in the first round of the Region 5-A Tournament.

With the win, the Lady Rockets (16-17) get a re-match with top-seeded Moore County (28-4) on Monday night as the tournament moves to Eagleville for the semifinals with the winners earning a state sectional berth, while the loser goes home.

"This makes the long ride home a whole lot better," said Forrest head coach Jeremy Jean. "They competed from start to finish, played as hard as they could and that is what happens when you battle to the end."

The Raiderettes have won both meetings this year, squeezing out a three-point win at Forrest in November and trouncing the Lady Rockets 60-20 on January 11 in Lynchburg.

"I think this is good for us, we have a chance to avenge the worst loss I have had since I have been here in that 40-point blowout at Moore County," said Jean. "They played the best they could play and we played the worse we could play, so we are going to forget about the outcome, but remember what they did to us and go over there with a chip on our shoulder and try to take it back at them."

On Friday at Erin, Forrest did something they did not do in the second Moore County game as they jumped out to an early first quarter lead, shifting the pressure to the home squad.

Caitlyn Yost, who led all scorers in the game with 18 points, sparked the Lady Rockets' offense early, scoring six first quarter points to propel Forrest to a 12-10 lead after the first eight minutes.

The Lady Rockets turned up the defensive pressure in the second period, allowing a lone Houston County basket by Anna Beal with just over a minute to go in the first half.

Meanwhile, Forrest scored eight points with Hannah Phifer making two of two from the free throw line, Yost knocking in a rebound, and Hannah Evans garnering two buckets in the low post, giving the Lady Rockets a 20-12 halftime lead.

"We have got to come out and punch them in the mouth and keep doing it to the end of the game," said Jean. "We matched their intensity and went a level up on them and that is what we have to do Monday too."

The Lady Irish turned a new shamrock in the third quarter, scoring ten straight points to begin the second half with Lexi Northfleet providing the go-ahead three-pointer with five mintues to play in the period.

"They came out in the third quarter and punched us in the mouth," said Jean.

Yost came back with a basket to re-knot the contest at 22 and after Houston County threw the ball away, Kirston Holder nailed two free throws to put Forrest back on top.

Kaci Hall and Beal helped Houston County recapture the lead again with a basket apiece to give the hometown Erin girls a 26-24 lead before Savannah Brothers got one point back on a single free throw at the end of quarter.

Yost kicked off an eight-point fourth quarter effort with a rebound and put-back on the initial possession of the period and after a Brothers steal and dish to Holder, Forrest led 29-26.

The Lady Rockets would maintain the three-point lead until Northfleet got smoking hot, drilling a pair of three-pointers with the second trey putting Houston County up 36-35 with 3:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Forrest turned the ball over and fouled Northfleet, who missed the front end of a one and one before Yost and Holder teamed up again to give the Lady Rockets a 39-36 lead with 52 seconds left.

Houston County called timeout after the Holder bucket and Kayla Clark converted out of the stoppage, forcing a Forrest timeout with 21 seconds remaining.

Yost was fouled with 8.7 seconds left and hit the first shot, but missed the second attempt that bounded into the hands of Abby Drew, who took it the distance for a lay-up, tying the game at the buzzer to send the game to extra time.

Phifer nailed a huge three-pointer on Forrest's second possession of overtime to make it 43-40, but Beal scored on a rebound and put-back at the other end to make it a one-point game.

Candace Daughrity staved off the Lady Irish charge with a basket in the paint as the clocked ticked under a minute when Houston County coughed the ball up and Forrest kept the rock until Phifer was fouled with 24.4 seconds left.

Phifer hit one of two to make it a two-possession game and more valuable time ticked away until Hall was fouled with 9.3 seconds left.

"We made the free throws we had to make," said Jean. "It was loud in here and it was crazy and I am sure their nerves were there in the battle, but we made the ones we had to make to make them make a three and then a two and I felt comfortable from there."

Hall made the first, but missed the second and Daughrity was fouled with 7.4 seconds remaining in overtime.

Daughrity iced the contest with a make on the second attempt and Houston County threw the ball away, sending Forrest to Eagleville and ending the Lady Irish's season at 26-7.

Phifer ended up with seven points in the contest, Holder added a half dozen, Brothers, Evans, and Scarlett Roberson netted four points apiece, Daughrity chipped in with three, and Amanda Chumbley had a single marker.