SPRING GARDEN - For the better part of three quarters, the Gaylesville Lady Trojans and Coosa Christian Lady Conquerors played a tight basketball game in the Class 1A, Area 10 tournament opener at Spring Garden.

But that's when Lady Trojan junior guard Taylor Tomlin put things on her shoulders.

Tomlin scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the third quarter, helping lift the Lady Trojans to a 47-37 victory. She also posted eight rebounds, five steals and four assists for Gaylesville (10-12), which advances to face the tournament's top seed, Spring Garden, on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Monday's victory was the first time Gaylesville has advanced to the tournament semifinals under second-year head coach Ashley Steele.

"I just tried to tell them to play their game and not the other team's game," Steele said. "That's kind of been our problem all season. Sometimes if the other team is playing slow, they want to play slow with them. That's what I told them at halftime. They need to play with their momentum and their game the entire game no matter what team we're playing."

Steele praised the play of Tomlin along with freshman guard Lauren Hammett. Hammett had 11 points, 12 boards and five steals.

"Taylor and Lauren both read the ball really, really well," Steele said. "If the other team makes a mistake, a bad pass or something, they're going to go after it. That's what I've been preaching to them the whole season, be ball-hungry. If there's a loose ball, get on the floor with it."

Tomlin had a scary moment with just under a minute to play in the game. She landed awkwardly on her right ankle and had to be helped to the Lady Trojan bench.

Steele said Tomlin suffered a high ankle sprain and should be ready for Thursday's semifinal game against Spring Garden.

Gaylesville held an 8-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The game was tied at 12 at halftime. Gaylesville then went on an 18-11 run in the third quarter to take a 30-23 lead heading into the fourth.

Karla Bruce and Autumn East led Coosa Christian (2-17) with 10 points apiece. East connected on a pair of 3-pointers. Morgan Luttrell added nine points and Bailey Loyd finished with seven points.

Lady Trojan junior center Alex Montgomery contributed nine points, 11 rebounds and blocked three shots. Junior forward Hannah Van Pelt came away with six points. Sophomore forward Angie Calvert finished with seven boards and four steals.