It’s safe to say that Belle Lady Tiger basketball is on a roll entering the 2019 portion of their season.

Posting wins last week over Dixon (62-43) on Thursday and New Bloomfield (54-45) on Tuesday, Evin Farris’ squad ended the 2018 portion of their season on a 10-game winning streak following a season-opening loss to Richland back in mid-November.

During the streak, the Lady Tiger offense has only been held under 50 points in three of those victories.

Hosting New Bloomfield’s Lady Wildcats in the second of three games last Tuesday night at Belle High School, the Lady Tigers overcame a 14-11 first-quarter deficit before pulling away in the fourth quarter to tame the visitors from Callaway County.

In a hotly-contested second quarter, the lead changed hands between Belle and New Bloomfield nine times along with being tied at 23-23 on an Erin Schalk free throw at the 1:22 mark of the second period. 

Sophomore post player Halle Smith fired in 16 of her game-high 23 points in the first half. She made it a double double with 10 rebounds, six steals, three assists and three blocked shots.

Chloe Krause joined Smith in the double figures racking up seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Gracie Schultz also had a big second half netting seven of her eight points after halftime.

Olivia Sanders contributed four points to go along with three from Grace Busch, two from Baylie Cadwallader and a Schalk’s free throw for one point.

Standing between win number 11 in a row for Belle’s Lady Tigers will be BHS graduate Terry Wells and his St. James Lady Tigers in the first round of the Fatima Comet Classic Girl’s Basketball Tournament on Monday, Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m., in Westphalia.