The girls basketball programs at both Westfield and
Arlington Christian could not let the year 2012 end without settling the 1-1
tie between them.
The setting for that rubber contest was the 26thannual Tattnall Square Christmas Tournament Friday in Macon, and Arlington,
which won the 2011-12 GISA AAA championship over Westfield in February,
advanced to the Tattnall finals in a tightly-contested 67-64 final.
The Lady Eagles, under coach Lady Grooms, avenged their
first home loss in years when Westfield got its own revenge in a late November
meeting to begin this current season. They did it with 20 points each from
senior forward Ana Anderson and senior guard Laura Bishop.
This Arlington roster has no juniors, but one eighth-grader.
She is forward Rakeah Williams, who owned the offensive boards in the second
half, when she had all of her 14 points.
Kate Moseley, after a 19-point game in Thursday’s first
round against Tiftarea, scored 18 to top three Lady Hornets in double figures.
Cheslea Whaley was on fire off the bench with 15 points, and point guard Callie
Hammerle tallied 12.
Forward Sydney Ledford played through illness to score nine,
all in the second half. Arlington had its own issues with health as Bishop did
not play the last three minutes of regulation after hurting a shoulder.
Ledford didn’t shoot well at the start, but was not showing
signs of ill health by going after offensive boards, blocking one shot and
making good passes. On a break she found Moseley for Westfield’s first points.
It was not a great offensive beginning overall, Anderson
going 2-for-4 from the field. But with the clock under a minute, Hammerle stole
the ball from her and tied the game 10-10.
In a 15-0 second-quarter run by Westfield, it was a
highlight tape for Whaley. She finished off a transition pass from Hammerle
and, in one possession, put back an offensive rebound with a foul. She
rebounded her own miss, and her teammates put the basketball back in her hands
for a 20-12 lead at 4:36.
Giveaways by the Lady Hornets slowed their momentum down,
and Arlington had a run of 10 in a row. That trimmed the lead down to three,
27-24, at 1:38. Moseley emerged to bring the halftime edge up to six, 32-26, on
an assist to Hammerle and open 3-pointer off ball reversal with two seconds on
the clock.
Westfield maintained an advantage of as much as seven
throughout the third period despite three blocks from Anderson. Moseley was
without a doubt looking for her shot, and the Lady Hornets were following coach
Cass Cassell’s directive to catch the Lady Eagles not hustling back on defense.
Whaley, Valerie McLure and Ledford all scored on quick
spurts, and McLure later added her second put-back for the game. It was 49-44
for Westfield with one more quarter left.
With Bishop’s 3-pointer early in the fourth, Arlington was
back even at 51-51. But it was Hammerle with that speed getting to the other
end who reclaimed the advantage. Williams’ presence, however, was beginning to
be felt as, on her fourth offensive rebound, tied things again 53-53.
Each team traded 5-0 runs, Bishop tying it at 58-58 on a
steal and score. With Williams’ fifth grab of a missed shot, the Lady Eagles
were ahead 62-61 and would not trail again.
Westfield went 5-for-10 in free throws for the quarter.
The Lady Hornets’ win against Tiftarea was 75-47 with
Moseley going 7-for-11 at the line. After leading 37-23 at the half, Cassell’s
bunch had a 24-point third. Hammerle scored 15 points with seven steals and
McKinley Walton had 12 points.
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