Better Luckey than good: Lady Warhawks survive and advance to second round

Griffin- The Veterans Lady Warhawks (25-3 overall) advanced to the second round of the Georgia High School Association 5A state playoffs following a come-from-behind victory at Griffin Friday. The Lady Warhawks were behind for all but 3:30 of the game and did not take their first lead of the game until Griffin senior guard Averyana Nelson (11 points) drew a technical foul after a scramble for a loose ball during the fourth quarter. A pair of free throws from Lady Warhawks senior Tamia Luckey, her only two points of the quarter, put Veterans ahead for good 45-44. The visiting team would only need two more points -free throws from junior Zykeria Jenkins with less than eight seconds remaining in the game- to clinch the win. The last time Veterans played in that building, 2017, hey lost a first round playoff game to the Lady Bears. That team, led by then senior Carrington Kee, was upset. This team led by seniors Luckey, Houston Home Journal 2019-20 Player of the Year Stacie Jones (10 points, eight rebounds), senior Keliyah Johnson and Jenkins was not. But for a time it looked like they would be. 

“We are thankful to be moving on to the Sweet 16, glory to God,” said Veterans head coach Nicole Miranda after the game. “I’m really proud of our toughness and ability to overcome adversity, and ability to play in a difficult environment and get the win.”

If Veterans was looking for a test, they got one Friday night. The Lady Warhawks will play the Rome Lady Wolves (20-9) in the second round. The Lady Wolves defeated SW Dekalb on the road Friday 59-56. 

The game began with Griffin (19-11) coming out of the gate aggressive on both ends and taking a quick 5-0 lead. Jones would single-handily bring Veterans back with five unanswered points on their next three possessions. Griffin freshman center Samiah Puckett would score the next four points of the game off of pure hustle, wrestling away rebounds off of missed Lady Bears shots and finishing consecutive put-backs. Puckett’s impact would not go much further than that moment, but to start the game with four points, five rebounds and with her team ahead 12-8 after the first quarter was quite a start for her first carer sate playoff game. Jones scored six of Veterans first eight points but it would be Luckey that would do the most damage during the second quarter.

A 2019-20 HHJ All-County first team selection, Luckey has always had the ability to contribute on the big stage, the wherewithal and focus however has been the question more often than not. In what could have been her last high school basketball game of her career, Luckey left nothing to chance and everything on the floor. Tying the game at 12 following a four-point play, Luckey made a pair of free throws to cut Veterans’ deficit to 19-16 early on, and 23-19 with a three-pointer minutes later. All in all, Luckey would tally nine of the 15 points Veterans scored during the second quarter, helping them stay within striking distance at 27-23.

Luckey wasn’t done, in fact she was just getting started. Following a quick Lady Bears basket that made the Veterans deficit six points, Luckey connected on consecutive three-pointers to even the game at 29 early in the third quarter. Johnson would finish a layup on the next Lady Warhawks possession that gave them their first lead of the game. Ahead by five points after another Luckey basket and a free throw by Jones, Griffin take a 38-34 lead at the end of the quarter on baskets by freshmen Leah Turner (team-high 12 points) and Aaliyah Duranham. The Lady Bears started both freshmen Friday night and played four in total. First round playoff exit aside, Griffin will be a force to reckon with in 5A girls basketball for seasons to come.

On Luckey’s overall game Miranda said, “Tamia was big on the offensive end tonight. We struggled shooting from the field and she hot some bog shots, especially during the second half. Luckey scored a team high 21 points. 11 during the first half, 10 during the second.

Griffin would lead by as much as seven points with a little over five minutes remaining in the game after another Puckett basket in the paint. Veterans bench, not particularly deep but young and tough enough to spell the starters in a game as important as this one was, contributed key minutes in a pinch. Sophomore forward Sydney Jones made two free throws and junior Raven Glover dropped off a beautiful fast pass to the elder Jones on a fast break that led to a three-point play that made the score 44-43 in favor of Griffin. Veterans got a huge defensive lift from sophomore guard Gabby Tribue as well. hawking the Lady Bears ball handlers, Tribue didn’t shoot the ball or score a point, yet made one of the biggest impacts during the game. 

Down 45-44, Griffin senior Da’Nail Williams could have tied the game or given her team the lead with two free throws. She missed both. Jenkins would make both of hers on the next possession and Veterans would survive to play another day.  

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