LADY GENERALS
made a run.
A 7-0 spurt pulled them to within two points of the lead going into the fourth quarter and they would finally pull ahead, 24-23, with 5:21 remaining in the game.
But Heritage would not stay down long.
Shortly after Dade County took the lead, the Lady Generals took it right back as Aaliyah Rodgers hit two free throws after drawing a foul. Rodgers was able to put in a basket in the lane moments later and Brooke Matherly connected on a three from the top of the key to put Heritage back in front, 30-24, with three minutes remaining.
Kortney McKenzie came up big on the defensive side with a steal under her own basket and, on the ensuing possession, Lauren Mock scored in the paint to add to the lead with 2:15 left. Moments later, McKenzie fed a pass to Matherly, who made a nice cut to the basket, and the Heritage lead ballooned to 10 points with 90 seconds left to go, capping a
decisive 11-0 run.
Matherly added two final free throws with 11 seconds left to send the Lady Generals to the semifinals.
Rodgers had 13 points, followed by Mock and Matherly with 10 apiece. Gracie Murray added two points and Macie Collins chipped in with one.
HERITAGE 50, TRION 28
A fourth-quarter explosion on Wednesday night the Lady Generals punch their ticket to the championship game.
Heritage erupted for 21 points in the final frame to wrap up a victory over the No. 3-ranked team in Class A Public.
The Lady Generals played solid defense all night long. They took a 9-3 lead after the first quarter and maintained the six-point advantage through halftime before extending it to 11 going into the fourth quarter.
Matherly led the charge in the final period by hitting a pair of 3-pointers. She scored eight points in the fourth to finish with a game-high 10 for the Lady Generals.
Mock finished with eight points, while Murray and Collins added seven each. A balanced scoring night also included six points apiece from Rodgers and McKenzie, and three points apiece from Riley
Kokinda and Katie Coke.
HERITAGE 50, GORDON LEE 21
Spurred on by a big first quarter, the Lady Generals won the tourney title. McKenzie provided the spark with nine first-quarter points, including four free throws and one 3-pointer, as they went ahead 21-5 and took control of the game early.
They enjoyed a comfortable 36-13 cushion at the break and ballooned their advantage to 30 just two minutes into the final period before reserve players for both teams finished out the night.
McKenzie and Collins tied for team-high honors with 11 points each for the Lady Generals (7-5). Mock and Matherly scored seven points each, followed by Murray with five, Kokinda with four, Reese Abercrombie with three and Rodgers with two.
“I think we played pretty well in general the last two (games) and this was a good tournament for us to win,” Elkins added. “It should help us a lot with confidence going into (this) week, and I think this group is mature enough to know that we can use this as a foundation to build on for bigger and better things.”