Lady Vols get victory by one point at North AAA
Wood steps up as Lady Vols pull out one-point victory
COLUMBUS – It looked like it was going to be the worst possible night for Starkville Academy's Lady Volunteers to go completely cold.
In the most important game of the year with the season on the line in the Class AAA North State Tournament first round, Starkville Academy couldn't buy a basket. Bayou Academy was doing enough to extend a lead at several points during the game and it was keeping Lillee Alpe and Mary Peyton Passons off of the scoreboard. Enter Caroline Wood. The Lady Vols' sophomore post player came up big with 17 points in the contest, including six of the final eight points to help SA erase a late deficit and win a game in the final minute 46-45.
“We all stepped up,” Wood said. “Everyone was encouraging me and it was the same thing for everyone else. We were all encouraging each other.”
It just wasn't SA'S night in many respects and the Lady Vols usually rely heavily on Alpe and Passons to carry the load offensively. Things have changed in the last couple of games, however, as they had their secondstraight game with others stepping up their game.
Against Heritage in the consolation game of the
2-AAA tournament last week, it was Meri Laci Archer, A'johnah Baker and Wood. They needed help in a big way again on Tuesday.
Alpe and Passons saw shot after shot rim out. The two combined to go 5-for30 in the game hitting just 1-of-13 shots from 3-point range. Alpe had 12 points in the game but it came on just four made baskets.
Wood was the only constant early in the game as she had six of the first nine points and Starkville Academy fell behind 15-9 in the second quarter. It was 21-14 at the half as the Lady Vols were 0-for-8 from distance.
The lead grew to nine points early in the third quarter before Starkville Academy was able to manufacture a 7-0 run to cut it to 25-23, but it looked like Bayou had settled back in when it got a three-point play and another basket to push it right back out to seven points and held a 34-28 advantage heading into the final quarter.
“We were really tense and couldn't get into a rhythm and I thought that it was really affecting our defensive intensity,” Allsup said. “I kept challenging them in the timeouts that we've just got to grind it out and finally they bought in. We made some unbelievable plays to get us back in the game and ultimately win it.”
The Lady Vols came out in the fourth quarter and started chipping away at that lead with their defense before getting it to within four with 1:30 remaining in the game. Heading into the final minute, Wood got a bucket and the full court press led to a steal and score from Alpe to suddenly tie things at 42.
Wood hit two free throws to give Starkville Academy the first lead since early in the game and as it was running clock, Wood scored again on a layup that clinched the win.
“She made some big plays down the stretch, especially the basket that sealed it,” Allsup said. “She's just a little ole baby. She's a young sophomore and has a lot of growing up to do and I thought that (Tuesday) helped her grow as a basketball player.”
The Lady Vols (21-11) gave themselves at least three more games for their season as they clinched a state tournament berth with a win, but they're looking for more. They'll play the winner of the Leake Academy and Lee Academy game on Friday afternoon in a 4 p.m. matchup at Heritage Academy.