It takes looking back to 2008 to find a Houston County High
girls basketball win against Northside. Aside from the Bear Brawl finals of
2011, it takes looking back to 2007 to find a regular-season win for the Lady
Bears against Warner Robins.
Beating both of the city rivals in the same season in any
situation … it takes a lot of looking.
But in the 2012-13 season, John Roddie and the Houston
County girls do own victories against the Lady Eagles (at home Jan. 18) and the
Demonettes. The triumph over Warner Robins took place Friday, also at the Bear
Den, by a final of 45-39.
There’s even more significance to what Roddie’s club
accomplished. This was its last Region 2-AAAAA B sub-region game of the season,
and with a sweep of Jones County thrown into the mix, the Lady Bears finished
at 4-2. If Warner Robins defeated Jones on Tuesday, all three of the city teams
would be 4-2 with splits against each other.
Tom Mobley, Demonettes head coach, said Saturday there would
be coin tosses to determine which team gets what seed for the 2-AAAAA
tournament that begins Feb. 12 in Gray. Northside’s girls won at Jones Friday
in its last sub-region tilt.
“We could end up first, second or third,” said Roddie.
“We’re playing a little better, but we’re still taking too many quick shots for
my liking. We don’t get the ball inside enough. We did a better job (Friday)
defensive rebounding. But I like where we’re at right now.”
With more than a week before playing that first tournament
game, against one of the A sub-region schools from the Columbia County area,
Roddie said there’s going to be lots of hard practicing and learning about
anyone from Evans to Greenbrier to Grovetown.
“The only thing I can say about the other side is they look
about like us as far as any team can beat anybody,” said Roddie. “Jones County
is fourth right now (in our sub-region), but they almost beat us there. We won
(51-50).”
It’s one of those schools that Houston County must overcome
in order to qualify for the state tournament for the first time since 2007.
Roddie said it would be exciting to get in the field, but he’ll also accept
winning the region championship.
Karissa Ingram led the winning effort against Warner Robins
with 15 points. Alexia Williams came off the bench to score 10 points, and
Justice Wright – giving up a starting spot on senior night – still canned seven
points and made a huge defensive difference in the second half.
Warner Robins had 10 points from guard Asha Stegall, seven
from Kate Hill and six from Jada Everett.
Ingram began things converting a tough shot against Mobley’s
press and using a pick to feed guard Brittnay Greene. Everett countered with a
put-back field goal and a penetration pass to Stegall in a corner. Stegall
buried a 3-pointer, but the next time the Demonettes tried one Wright swatted
the basketball out of bounds.
Roddie also had to be impressed with the Lady Bear offensive
board work from numerous sources, not just Wright. Unique Tuberville, a back-up
forward, quickly released a second shot and drew a foul. Her three-point play
tied the game 7-7.
Ingram caught up with Tesia Walker’s cutting move to the
basket and blocked her shot. Her teammates found her open for a go-ahead
3-pointer. It was Everett’s foul-line jumper that ended the first quarter
scoring with Houston County leading by two, 12-10.
Only 21 seconds into the second quarter, Wright earned her
second personal foul. The Lady Bears desperately hung on to a one-point
advantage despite missing three second-shots in a row. The home team managed to
stop three straight Warner Robins possessions with one steal by Greene.
Williams didn’t find her range in the first quarter, but
coming off a screen she nailed her first 3-pointer at 5:20. Brittany Gordon,
one of Roddie’s senior forwards, put in an offensive board right after
Demonette sophomore reserves Dacien Ambler and Sharleza Ross combined for two
on the low blocks.
Tuberville and Gordon were simply unstoppable rebounding the
basketball in Wright’s absence, but offensively the hosts had two unforced
turnovers and wasted a slew of good passes with one missed open look after
another. Warner Robins couldn’t go ahead with its own turnover problems, but
Ambler stole a pass and laid the ball in with a minute on the first-half clock.
Greene stole the ball out of a Demonette’s hands two times
to take her club into the break ahead 20-17.
With a fresh half, Wright had a fresh chance to show what
her 6-3 frame could do. The first possession for Houston County saw Williams
feed the center inside for two. Wright also caused a turnover and blocked a
shot while Williams stole the basketball twice.
The Lady Bear lead only grew to six, 23-17, from all of
these plays. Wright recorded her second block and hustled to the other end for
an assist from Greene. Ingram scored beating the Demonette pressure after
Wright forced a giveaway in transition, and Houston led by 10 for the first
time 27-17.
Though Warner Robins managed to get one point in, Ingram and
Williams sank consecutive 3s. It was at 1:30 that the Demonettes made a field
goal, Ce Ce Carroll running the floor for a lay-up.
Wright added four defensive rebounds in the period, which
ended with a 33-22 score for the Lady Bears. Houston County was unable to
maintain its offensive momentum for the last two minutes of that quarter, but
in the fourth Warner Robins opened with two straight lay-up misses.
Williams stuck in a 3 before Wright drew her fourth foul –
player-control on a pick-and-roll – with 5:04 to play. So Williams picked up
the slack with an inbound steal and an assist to Ingram, who used Gordon’s
screen during Houston’s inbound.
Still ahead by double figures, the Lady Bears received one
more basket from Wright, the assist going to Tuberville following a series of
patient passes.
With two minutes to play, Warner Robins had fouls to give
but let Houston burn the clock down to 1:17. The Demonettes forced a
five-second turnover, and at 1:02 Ambler’s 3 brought the margin below 10,
40-32. Ambler next made a steal with an assist to an open Everett.
After Ingram reclaimed those points for Houston’s side,
Stegall earned a chance for a three-point play. She missed her free throw, and
Wright blocked Carroll’s put-back shot.
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