SPANISH FORT, Alabama — The Lady Dolphins pulled out an exciting overtime win on the road at Spanish Fort Friday with a 51-50 final over the Lady Toros.

Knotted 44-44 after regulation, Gulf Shores won the four-minute overtime period 7-6. The Dolphins held a 51-46 lead until Elaine Wood hit her last three-pointer of the game for Spanish Fort to make it a two-point game with 17 seconds left. The Toros got the ball back off the inbound and drew a bonus foul but failed to convert both shots. Both teams shot 50 percent from the foul line during the extra period and managed one field goal each.

“It’s the kind of game you hate to play but love to win,” Gulf Shores head coach Austin Boyd said. “We almost threw it away, but we hung in there and I’m proud of them. Spanish Fort has a great team and it’s a great rivalry.”

The Spanish Fort girls trailed 23-17 at the half and 35-26 to start the fourth quarter and then went on an 18-9 run to tie it seven minutes, 26 seconds later on a put-back by Marissa Babb.

Spanish Fort head coach Angie Puckett’s team had taken a 70-48 win earlier this season over the Lady Dolphins who this time held her leading scorers to fewer quality shots. But poor Lady Toros free-thow shooting hurt even more.

“At half time, I had to ask some of my players who don’t usually score a lot to step up and help out, which they did, because they (Gulf Shores) were doing a much better job of covering Elaine and my more typical scorers. Elaine still hit some big threes for us. But Free throws killed us. We were 14-for-26 and of course worse down the stretch. And we got into foul trouble. But I’m proud of how we fought back and scrapped our way back into it. Marissa Payne stepped up big for us slashing to the hole more and that’s big. But we have to win the next two to win the area.”

Bethany Ogden (28 points per game) led all with 18 points for GS, Nicole Wallace added 12 and Skylar Stuckey 10 for the Dolphins.  Wood led the Toros with 14 points,  Babb added 12 and Katie Godfrey 11.

The 5A Area 2 win evens the head-to-head record at 1-1 between the two county and league rivals. GS finished at 4-2 in the area with its only other loss to LeFlore. SFHS (11-7 overall) stands at 3-1 with two more area games (Vigor this Friday and Leflore Jan. 31) both at home at 6 p.m.

The Lady Dolphins (11-5) host UMS-Wright at 6 p.m. Friday.