Lady Jackets hang on
Coosa gets within two before Rockmart pulls away in the Region 7-AA game.
Their first game of the season pitted the Rockmart girls’ against Region 7-AA foe Coosa in a contest that had both teams working to stay in step with the other.
But a comeback bid by the host Lady Eagles was cut short in the final three minutes of the game and Rockmart took a 64-56 win to begin its 2017-18 schedule.
Coosa went into halftime down 34-19 and trailed by as many as 17 early in the second half. The Lady Eagles pushed their perimeter game, however and hit three 3-pointers in the third period.
Keyarah Berry led the Lady Jackets with 22 points and went 3-of-4 at the line early in the fourth period as Coosa got some timely baskets to go on a 10-2 run.
Carah Arrant completed backto-back 3-point plays after getting fouled on consecutive layups during the stretch that pulled the
Lady Eagles within four of the visitors, 49-45.
Rockmart (1-0) kept the pressure on and Coosa’s Taylor Roberts hit two free throws and added a layup before Emma Reynolds hit a 3 with 2:59 left and cut the Lady Jackets’ lead to 54-52.
Rockmart’s Mollie Little was quick to answer as she made a 3 of her own and Cambree Stanley added another as part of a 10-2 Lady Jacket run that secured them the win.
“I was very excited to see us not quit and battle back. I think if we had just got one more stop there in that last push it would have been different,” Coosa coach Chad Cooper said.
“I’m proud of the girls. They kept battling. And that’s good to see this early in the year.”
Roberts led Coosa (0-2) with 22 points, 14 of which came in the first half. Reynolds finished with four 3’s and 14 points, while Arrant had 12.
After Berry, Rockmart got 13 points from Stanley and 10 from Madison Davis, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Coosa will be back in action Friday when it hosts Model while Rockmart travels to Bowdon.