Lady Dragons fall to Lady Lumberjacks at Dual State Championship.
JUNCTION CITY Warren lost its coach but not its composure Saturday night as the Lady Lumberjacks rallied for a 50-48 victory over Junction City in the girls championship game of the 87th Dual State Tournament.
Nashville beat Warren 47-45 to win the boys championship.
In the girls game, the Lady Dragons led 13-9 after one quarter and 26-20 at the half. Warren cut the deficit to 33-29 when the Lady Lumberjacks’ coach, Jae Kell, was ejected for arguing a call. Junction City converted on just 1-of-4 free throws and led 34-29 with two minutes left in the third.
The Lady Dragons got buckets from Keyanna Ross and Breanna Ray before Dasha Hampton’s three-point play pulled Warren to within 37-32 going into the fourth.
Midway in the final quarter, the Lady Lumberjacks tied the game 41-41 and went ahead 43-42 on Hampton’s offensive rebound and putback. Jada Archie answered for Junction City with 2:20 remaining before Faith Jackson hit a jumper for the Warren, which led 45-44. The Lady Lumberjacks tacked on a free throw for a twopoint lead with 1:49 left to play.
Junction City pounded the ball inside to Archie, who scored to knot the game with 1:30 left. But, Jackson hit a jumper for Warren just nine seconds later, putting the Lady Lumberjacks on top 48-46.
Free throws were Junction City’s bug-aboo all night. Taykeetria Rogers missed two at the line with 1:13 left. Shakeira Stovall hit 1-of2 at the line to push the lead to 49-46. But, Rogers scored under the basket for Junction City, which trailed by one with 21.7 seconds on the clock.
Stovall went to the line for the Lady Lumberjacks and hit 1-of-2 for a 50-48 advantage. Warren then got the ball back ona turnover and called timeout. On the ensuing inbounds, Junction City’s Ray made the steal at midcourt and drove to the basket but had the ball deflected out of bounds with 5.6 left.
The Lady Dragons inbounded the ball under their own basket but tried to force it inside to Archie, who was surrounded by defenders. The ball was deflected out of bounds and ruled touched last by Junction City with 2.9 remaining. The Lady Dragons fouled with 1.0 on the clock and, although Warren missed both free throws, there was not enough time for
a shot attempt.
Jackson led Warren with 17 points while T’yshunna Steppes scored nine.
Camya Hamilton scored 21 for the Lady Dragons before fouling out. Archie contributed 11.
In the boys game, Nashville’s Jalen Finley hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds left to lift the Scrappers over Warren.
Nashville led 22-16 at the half. Warren’s Vincent Steppes converted a three-point play to cut the lead to 45-44 with 1:44 left in the game. After the Scrappers missed a 1-and1, Steppes hit a free throw to tie the game with 15 seconds remaining.
C.J. Adams led Nashville with 13 and Finley and D.K. Kight contributed 12 and 11, respectively.
Javion Robinson led Warren with 16. Cobe Muldrew and Treylon Burks scored nine and eight, respectively.
Smackover won the girls consolation game over Hampton 46-38.
Sharnes McGhee and Camaree Jones scored 14 points apiece for the Lady Bucks while Makayla Toney added nine.
Shelbi Belin led the Lady Bulldogs with 13.
Junction City won the boys consolation game over Hampton 51-43.
Terrell Gibson led the Dragons with 16 points while Geormar Owens added eight.
Jaylin Jones led the Bulldogs with 12 while Brian Williams added 11.
The girls all-tournament team included: Smackover’s McGhee, Hampton’s Belin, Hermitage’s Cassidy Hollingsworth, Junction City’s Hamilton and Ray, Warren’s Jackson, Stovall and Jammie Stallings.
The boys all-tournament team included: Hampton’s Jones, Junction City’s Jalen Davis, Hermitage’s Hunter Saunders, Warren’s Burks and Muldrew, Nashville’s Finley, Kight and Adams.