Panthers, Lady Hornets stage comebacks

From Staff Reports

Making the state playoffs for the first time in five years,

Perry High’s boys basketball club can now claim a GHSA victory for the first

time in seven years (2006 against Hephzibah).

Rallying from nine points down in the final three minutes of

regulation, the Panthers handed the Butler High Bulldogs a 65-62 first-round

loss in the Class AAAA field Wednesday in Augusta.

It was Perry taking control early and going into halftime up

eight 37-29. Butler, using a 15-4 run in the second half, was leading by nine

in the final period. The Panthers scored the winning basket, though, with 15

seconds left to play.

K.J. Smith, sinking four 3-pointers in his first state

tournament game, canned 22 points. All Panthers were playing in state for the

first time, and five of them contributed between six and nine points: Derrick

Toliver, Marquez Thomas, Jalen Walker, Kevin Ford and Deonte Soloman.

As the No. 3 seed from Region 2-AAAA, Perry will play on the

road again today (Feb. 23) for its second-round game at Eagle’s Landing – a

former region foe – in McDonough.

 

WESTFIELD GIRLS

Coming off a loss in the GISA Region 2-AAA tournament

finals, Westfield’s Lady Hornets had a first-round scare Wednesday against

Pinewood Christian.

Playing at Stratford Academy in Macon, Westfield surged back

from a nine-point second-half deficit to win 47-43. That set up Friday’s second

round battle, at Tattnall Square, with an old bitter rival, Deerfield-Windsor,

the tournament champions of Region 3-AAA for a third year in a row but first

under former Lady Hornet coach Jeff Eubanks.

“(We) began making a

comeback late in the third quarter,” said coach Cass Cassell, looking to take

the Lady Hornets to the GISA AAA championship game for the second consecutive

season. “Westfield took the lead 44-43 with 4:30 remaining. We then held the

ball until 26 seconds were left and Pinewood had to foul. Callie Hammerle hit

two free throws.

“Pinewood went down

the court and used the clock until turning the ball over with 3.5 seconds left.

They fouled Chelsea Whaley on the inbounds, and Chelsea hit one of her two free

throws. Pinewood did not get another shot off.”

In the frontcourt,

senior Valerie McLure scored 10 points and junior Sydney Ledford 11. McKinley

Walton, another senior, scored nine to go with a team-high eight rebounds and

three steals. Westfield was 16-for-20 from the free-throw line.

 

VETERANS GIRLS

Playing a state

tournament basketball game for the first time ever, the Veterans High Lady

Warhawks led South Effingham High at halftime. It was the Lady Mustangs owning the

second half and charging to the first-round AAAA win 55-40 Tuesday.

Veterans had just

four third-quarter points, and they all came in the first 1:16. The Lady

Warhawks did not score a field goal for the next 8:25 as South Effingham, in

seven minutes, registered 17 straight.

Jalyn Slaughter,

producing double-doubles all season long, did so again for the final time. The

forward had nine first-quarter points, 15 for the game and 13 rebounds. Aspen

Coggins nailed back-to-back 3-pointers, but she was the only one from the

visiting team to score from outside the arc. The senior guard also had four

assists.

Tianna Gemain led the

home team with 24 points, 19 in the second half.

 

NORTHSIDE GIRLS

Northside High’s Lady

Eagles, the No. 3 seed of Region 3-AAAAA basketball, went all the way to

Brunswick Tuesday for state first-round basketball action. With eight points in

the final 1:15 of regulation, Northside took the Glynn Academy Lady Red Terrors

to overtime and then left with a 59-52 win.

Mashawn Rumph capped

a run of 18-4 by the Lady Eagles with the game-tying basket. Shambria Smith

scored nine of her 26 points in this comeback, and she was 10-for-15 from the

free-throw line. Tia Williams and Mekhaela Witherspoon each scored 10.

HHJ News