The River Ridge Lady Knights staged a 12-2 run in the fourth quarter and held on for a 50-48 win Tuesday night at the Bradwell Institute gymnasium, advancing to the Class AAAAA girls basketball Final Four and ending the host Lady Tigers’ season.

The Lady Tigers were just 7 of 19 from the free throw line for the game and trailed 49-45 with 51.6 seconds. Janiyah Blevins buried a 3-pointer, and the defense forced a stop on the other end. But Bradwell couldn’t convert on a two-on-one with 8 seconds remaining, and Kyla Cantey hit one of two free throws to send the defending state champs back to the semifinals.

The Lady Tigers’ season ended at 28-1.

River Ridge (23-7) hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter alone and held a 23-16 lead with 1:48 left in the first half. Destini McLemore buried a 3 from the top of the key and Jamia Ousley knocked down a 3 at the buzzer after a loose ball found its way into her hands for 24-23 halftime lead.

Ousley’s pullup jumper staked Bradwell to a 31-25 lead early in the third, but the Lady Knights found the range from deep again. Cantey drained a 3 on Makayla Roberson’s kick-out pass and Myles Mansell hit a 3 for a 35-34 lead with 2:01 to go in the third quarter.

Ousley, though, came up with a steal and a layup to put Bradwell in front 38-35 to end the third.

River Ridge held Bradwell without a field goal for nearly five minutes in the fourth quarter to climb back into the lead.

For more, see Thursday’s edition of the Courier or return to coastalcourier.com.