Lanett used a tough fourth-quarter performance to oust five-time defending girls champion Pisgah from the AHSAA state tournament with a 69-65 win in the Northeast Regional Class 2A semifinals at Jacksonville State’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Friday night.

The third-ranked Panthers improved to 23-2 on the season while Pisgah fell to 17-10. The Eagles had won the past two championships in Class 2A and the three before that in 3A.

Pisgah’s five straight championships is tied with Lauderdale County and Hazel Green for the most consecutive AHSAA titles. Class 6A Hazel Green won its Northwest Regional semifinal 61-47 over Mortimer Jordan and will play Clay-Chalkville in the final on Wednesday.

Pisgah jumped to a 23-17 first-quarter lead, but Lanett tied the game at 35 headed into halftime. The Panthers and Eagles played to a 16-all stalemate in the third period.

In the decisive fourth quarter, Lanett made 7-of-10 shots from the field while Pisgah hit 4-of-15, several misses (2-of-8) coming on last-ditch 3-point attempts. Lanett made 4-of-11 free throws while Pisgah hit 4-of-8 in the fourth.

Lanett led by six at 63-57 with just 3:46 remaining in the game and went to a ball-control offensive set. Pisgah cut the margin to 67-65 with 1:11 to play on a 3-pointer by Paisley Patalas from left of the top of the key, but America Zeigler hit the second of two free throws – twice – with less than 30 seconds to play for the final margin.

Lanett’s Nakeriona Heard scored six of her 24 points in the fourth quarter while Laila Lancaster got four of her eight points in the final period. Lancaster hauled in 11 rebounds and had three blocked shots in the win. Heard finished with five rebounds and three assists.

Zeigler claimed eight rebounds for the Panthers and scored eight points – 3-of-6 from the free-throw line – while Ariel Hall and Makayla Davis had seven each.

Patalas led Pisgah with 23 points. She also grabbed 7 rebounds in the loss. Madeline Flammia scored 10 points and had 4 assists for Pisgah. Ashton Childress claimed 10 rebounds and scored nine points for the Eagles.