Lady Trojans fall in state’s opening round
For a half last Tuesday night, the Gordon Lee Lady Trojans seem to be positioning themselves for a second-half charge that might have led to an upset over the state’s No. 1-ranked team.
Unfortunately for the Navy-and-White, when that second-half charge finally happened, it was turned in by the team wearing opposing colors.
Top-ranked Lake Oconee Academy erased all hope of Gordon Lee’s upset bid by outscoring the Lady Trojans 26-3 in the third quarter en route to a 66-37 win in the opening round the Class A Public School state playoffs.
The Lady Titans, who came into the game at 21-1 on the season, saw all five starters score in the first 3:27 of the game as they opened up a 12-0 lead. Another 8-2 spurt, highlighted by 3-pointers from Hannah Heinen and Georgia
Bosart, gave them a 22-9 lead after the first quarter.
Gordon Lee managed to hang around in the second quarter. An 8-2 run to begin the period, featuring two 3-pointers by Emma McGraw, sliced the deficit down to six with 5:35 remaining before halftime.
LOA answered with another 8-0 run, but a Gracie Helton 3-pointer was followed up by three points from Kaitlyn Wagoner and the Lady Trojans went into the locker room trailing by single digits, 32-23.
However, the Lady Titans came storming out of the locker room and delivered a decisive blow by scoring the first 24 points of the quarter. Heinen finished with 10 points in the third, while Heinen, Bosart and Jada Williams all knocked down threes to boost the lead to 58-26 going into the fourth.
McGraw, Helton and
Macartney Angel all hit 3-pointers in the fourth, while Sam Cramer added a basket, but it would be much too little, much too late as Lady Trojans’ season ended with a 16-13 record.
Only six players scored for the Lady Titans, but five of them finished in double figures. Williams led the way with 15 points. Heinen and Jane Monachello both had 13 points, followed by Bosart with 12 and Kensi Stevens with 11.
McGraw tied Williams for game-high honors with 15 points. All 15 points came on five baskets from behind the arc as the senior reached the career 1,000-point mark in her final game in a Gordon Lee uniform.
Helton and Wagoner both finished with six points. Angel and Emma Phillips both added three, while Cramer and Seanna Norton both scored two.