Lady Generals have to settle for second
Navy-and-Red succumb to Northwest in title game
The Heritage Lady Generals, ranked fourth in the state to start the week, will open the Class AAAA state basketball playoffs at home this weekend.
They’ll also do so with a bad taste in their mouths and likely a chip on their shoulders.
Second-seeded and regular season co-champion Heritage (25-3) had little difficulty in winning their first two games of the Region 6-AAAA tournament at Southeast Whitfield this past week, but were shockingly handled by topseeded Northwest in the title game on Friday night.
The Lady Generals are scheduled to open against Madison County (13-14), the No. 3 seed from Region 8, in the first round. A definite date and time had not been determined as of press time, but the game will most likely be played on Friday night.
Heritage 65, LaFayette 30
The Navy-and-Red made sure their was no funny business in their tournament opener as a 20-0 first-quarter run and a 9-0 second-quarter run erased any potential drama against the Lady Ramblers.
Heritage led 47-10 at halftime and played their starters for less than three minutes to begin the second half before giving way to their reserves for the rest of the evening.
Sydney Smith had 14 points to pace Heritage, followed by Ansley Bice with 13 and Emily Wiley with 10. Shayla Ludy and Sarah Bandy scored eight points each.
Heritage 64, Gilmer 43
Facing sixth-seeded Gilmer on Thursday, who upset third-seeded Southeast in the first round, the Lady Generals once again left no doubt as to the outcome senior Tori Harvey had a huge game in the semifinal win.
Harvey scored a game-high 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and collected six steals as the Lady Generals moved into the finals.
Ludy scored 13 points and Wiley chipped in with 11 in the win.
Northwest 72, Heritage 49
Fans in a jam-packed Southeast gym were expecting a physical game as the two top teams in the region squared off for a third time this season on Friday night. However, a blowout was something no one was expecting. Yet that’s what happened as a cold-shooting night crept up on the Lady Generals at the worst possible time.
Heritage struggled from the floor for the majority of the game and went almost 22 minutes, between a span of the second, third and fourth quarters, with just two made field goals.
Region 6-AAAA Player of the Year Bria Clemson had 19 points to pace Northwest, followed by Holly Heath with 11.
Bice scored 15 points to lead Heritage. Smith finished with 12 and Ludy chipped with nine in the loss.
“All we can do is just shake it off,” said a stunned head coach Eddie Bryant afterward. “I guess I’d rather lose one like that than lose one at the buzzer. I really don’t know what else to say other than it was just one of those games. Now we just have to get ready for state, but I think the girls will get themselves ready.”