Lebanon Girls and Boys Basketball Deliver Statement Wins Over Green Hill, Keep District Title Hopes Alive
It was a pivotal night for Lebanon basketball, and both the Devilettes and Blue Devils answered the call. In front of a charged crowd on Friday, the girls edged out a gritty 45-40 win over Green Hill to keep their District 7-4A championship hopes alive, while the boys bounced back in a big way with a 56-47 victory that vaulted them into second place in the standings.
Let’s break down both games, where defense, resilience, and clutch performances told the story.
Devilettes Clamp Down, Stay in the Title Race
Lebanon’s girls didn’t just win-they made a statement. Trailing in the district standings and facing a Green Hill squad that had only dropped one game all season, the Devilettes locked in defensively and executed when it mattered most.
After a slow start offensively-just two made field goals in the first quarter, both from beyond the arc-Lebanon leaned on its defense to set the tone. Tiara Spencer and freshman Carleigh Barrett provided those early threes, but it was the defensive game plan that kept the Devilettes in it. Green Hill was held to just five points in the opening frame, and standout scorer KT Tolbert was kept off the scoreboard entirely for the first quarter.
Tolbert, who averages nearly 20 a game, eventually found her rhythm, scoring eight of her game-high 18 points late in the second quarter to push Green Hill ahead 23-21 at halftime. But even with Tolbert heating up, Lebanon never lost its composure.
Head coach Cory Barrett credited his team’s toughness, especially as both sides battled through the usual wear and tear of February basketball.
“We’ve talked about it so many times-the number of good teams and coaches in our league,” Barrett said. “Everybody’s banged up this time of year.
I was proud of our kids. Both teams battled, and we were fortunate to come out on top.”
The third quarter was where Lebanon truly took control. With Green Hill missing its second-leading scorer, McKinlee Parker, due to a back injury, the Devilettes locked down again-holding the Hawks to just two points in the period and flipping the momentum entirely.
Then came the fourth quarter, and Lebanon wasted no time. They ripped off a 13-5 run to build a nine-point cushion, their largest lead of the night. Ellie Beth McDonald sparked it with a deep three, Maggie Kelley followed with an old-fashioned three-point play, and Naleiya Withrow-Walker and Spencer nailed mid-range jumpers to keep the pressure on.
Withrow-Walker, who finished with 12 points, said her jumper was more than just a bucket-it was a spark.
“I knew that my jumper could bring a lot of energy,” she said. “Even though we were scoring, I think that helped with our defensive energy, too. We were wanting to get stops and get back to the offensive end.”
Spencer, a Cumberland commit, added a clutch triple to answer a Tolbert layup, and from there, Lebanon closed it out at the line. Barrett and Withrow-Walker went 6-for-6 from the stripe in the final moments to seal the win.
Now at 7-2 in district play, the Devilettes are within striking distance. With three district games left-including a huge finale against Mt.
Juliet on Feb. 14-Lebanon could force a tie at the top of the standings.
Depending on how Mt. Juliet and Green Hill fare in their head-to-head clash Tuesday, we could be looking at a coin flip to decide the regular-season champ.
Scoring Breakdown - Lebanon 45, Green Hill 40
Lebanon (45): Tiara Spencer 13, Carleigh Barrett 12, Naleiya Withrow-Walker 12, Maggie Kelley 3, Ellie Beth McDonald 3, Tra’Maria Neal 2
Green Hill (40): KT Tolbert 18, McKenna Solomon 9, McKinlee Parker 6, Willa Heilman 5, Julianna Mitchell 2
Blue Devils Flip the Script, Take Down Green Hill
The last time Lebanon’s boys faced Green Hill, it wasn’t pretty. A 27-point loss left a bitter taste-and a clear message. This time around, the Blue Devils were ready, and they played like it.
Behind 17-point performances from Marques Anglin and Amaure Manier, Lebanon controlled the game from the start and never let up. The win pushed them to 6-3 in district play and into sole possession of second place.
“We kind of had this one circled,” head coach Jim McDowell said. “They outplayed us the first time. Our guys were ready to play tonight-they were flying around and making the hustle plays.”
The tone was set early. Manier and TJ Searcy led an 11-0 run to open the first quarter. Searcy buried a pair of threes, while Manier orchestrated the offense, dishing out assists and attacking the rim with confidence.
By halftime, Lebanon had built a 15-point lead, thanks in part to Green Hill’s Christian Bright being limited with early foul trouble. Manier added six in the second quarter, and Evan Klemm chipped in five to help the Blue Devils take control.
In the second half, Anglin took over. After a quiet first two quarters, he scored 14 of his 17 points after the break, including back-to-back buckets to start the third and a dagger three in the fourth that kept Green Hill at bay.
The Hawks made a push late, cutting the deficit to six after a 9-0 run. Jack McChurch and Mason Bates hit threes, and Bright added a layup to give Green Hill life. But Lebanon had answers.
Anglin knocked down four free throws in the final minutes, and Manier drilled a stepback three to put the game on ice.
“These two have played together a long time,” McDowell said of Anglin and Manier. “They feed off each other. Marques and Amaure live for these types of environments.”
The win not only avenges the earlier loss-it puts Lebanon in prime position to make a postseason run.
Scoring Breakdown - Lebanon 56, Green Hill 47
Lebanon (56): Anglin 17, Manier 17, Klemm, Searcy, Binion (scoring details not listed)
Green Hill (47): Mason Bates 12, McChurch, Bright, others (scoring details not listed)
What’s Next
For both Lebanon squads, the path forward is clear: keep winning, and let the chips fall where they may. The girls have three crucial district games left, including a potentially title-deciding showdown with Mt.
Juliet. The boys, now riding momentum, are firmly in the hunt for a top tournament seed.
Friday night was about more than just revenge or standings-it was about resilience, belief, and two teams rising to the occasion when it mattered most. And if this is the version of Lebanon we’re going to see down the stretch, the rest of District 7-4A better be ready.