Lady Eagles Keep Rolling
It was a big week for the #1 ranked Lady Eagles basketball team of Montgomery County High School as they won their first two round games of the GHSA State A Public Playoffs. On Tuesday of last week, they hosted Brooks County, and then on Saturday they hosted Trion.
Vs. Brooks
Marly Bell got the first basket of the game as the Lady Eagles took the early lead. She added a second and a free continued from page
throw to make it 5-0 with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter. MCHS added another basket for a 7-0 lead, but a deep three from the Trojans of Brooks closed it to 7-3.
MCHS pushed their lead to 13-3 with 2:27 left in the quarter after a basket from Amire Banks. Another basket by Marley and then from Jabrayla Coglin made it 18-5. Brooks added a three just before the buzzer, but at the end of the first the Eagles were on top 18-8.
Marley and Makyla Bell both dropped shots early in the second, and then Zakhia Lawhorne hit a three-pointer as the Lady Eagles pushed their lead to 26-9 with 4:55 left in the half. Banks added a three and then Makyla hit a floater in the lane. With 2:40 on the clock the score was 33-14. Jaliya Moore put a shot up from the post, and then Banks found the bottom of the net twice as the Eagles were up 40-15 by the end of the first half.
The Eagles' defense continued to keep Brooks at bay in the second half as they only allowed them to score a total of 11 points in the second half. MCHS added 17 more in the third, and then in the fourth with lots of subs in they scored six more on the way to a 63-26 win.
Marley led MCHS with 21 points, Banks added 12. Makyla scored 9, and Lawhorne posted 8 in the win.
Vs. Trion
The Lady Bulldogs of Trion came into the game as the #2 seed out of Region 6. They put it to the Eagles in the first quarter of the game as they took an early 7-3 lead. They pushed that to 11-4, and by the end of the first quarter Trion was on top of the #1 team in the state 11-5. MCHS got back on track in the second quarter as they closed it to 15-13, and then a three by Coglin put the Eagles on top 16-15. Trion went back ahead 18-16, but a three by Makyla put MCHS back on top, 19-18. At the end of the first half the game was tied at 20-20. In the third quarter it was 23-20 after a basket by Banks, but they tied it at 23-23 with a three-pointer. Marley gave the Eagles back the lead, and then it was 30-25 with 5:40 on the clock after a basket and free throw by Marley. Makyla hit a jumper from 12 feet out and it was 36-28 with 2:05 left in the third. Kayrah Harris added a three for the Eagles, and that made the score 39-30 at the end of the third quarter.
With 6:15 to play the Bulldogs had closed it to 39-34. Baskets by Coglin and Banks extended the lead to 43-34 with five minutes left in the game. Banks gave the Eagles the spark they needed as she made two more baskets and the Eagles led 47-34 with just under four minutes to go.
Banks hit another from 14 feet away for a 49-34 lead. But Banks fouled out of the game with 3:36 left to play. With 1:31 left, the score was 51-36 after pair of free throws by Makyla. The Eagles went on to win the game 52-36 over Trion to advance to the Elite 8 of the State Playoffs. MCHS was led by Marley with 16 points, Banks added 13, and Makyla scored 11.
This week the Eagles took on Hancock Central on Tuesday night at home after presstime. If they won that game, MCHS will play at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at Valdosta State University against the winner of the Pelham vs. Commerce game in the Final 4.
Makyla Bell lays one in for the Eagles off a fast break as they rolled to a win over Trion.Photo by Mike Branch
