Title: Lady Rebels number one in Georgia
A five point explosion from Maggie Ledford and Izzie Jabaley to start the fourth quarter set the offensive stage for the Fannin County Lady Rebels to win the A Division 1 Georgia High School Association State Basketball Championship.
The Lady Rebels’ defense and ball handling had been just as important to the outcome for the first 24 minutes, traits that continued down the final stretch.
Fannin County squared off against the Banks County Lady Leopards in the state title game Saturday at the Macon Coliseum. The Lady Rebels ended the game with a 51-42 victory.
Before entering the final eight minutes, Fannin County had fought back in the third period to lead by as many as seven points after trailing at the end of the first half.
In the final minute of the third, that tide turned as Banks pulled to within one at 32-31 at the buzzer.
Fannin failed to score on its first possession of the fourth, setting up an opportunity for Banks to take the lead. But that attempt failed.
Reese Lewis blocked a shot, kept the ball for the rebound and made a quick pass to Avi Ethington. Ethington then drilled the ball to Ledford down court in the paint. Ledford dribbled once and sank a layup bringing the huge Fannin crowd to its feet.
With the score standing at 34-31, Banks missed its next shot. Ledford grabbed the rebound, moved the ball down the court and passed to Jabaley who scored a three from the corner. With barely more than a minute gone off the clock, Fannin was ahead 37-31.
Lewis added another point to Fannin’s advantage off a free throw, the Lady Rebels leading 38-31.
The rest of the quarter would see Ledford score five Lady Rebel points, Lewis add four, Jabaley toss in three points and Ethington add a free throw. The fourth quarter saw Fannin outscore Banks County 19-11.
Before the fourth quarter, the teams had played neck and neck basketball.
Head Coach Ryan Chastain said Banks County’s twin seniors, Riley and Reese Murphy, came into the contest averaging a combined 32 points per game. The combined defensive efforts of Ledford, Ethington and Callie Ensley held them to a combined 18 total points.
Banks County’s 2-2-1 press had forced 37 turnovers in their semifinal game against Model. Fannin only turned the ball over 15 times in the championship game.
“We did not allow them to control the game with their press,” Chastain said.
“Our man to man defense was once again a huge key to victory in Macon. The runs that we made to take the lead and stretch the lead in the second half all started with tremendous defensive stops we turned into fast break transition points,” Chastain said.
Ledford opened the game with the first points and Lewis added a free throw to put the Lady Rebels on top 3-0.
At the halfway mark in the opening eight minutes, Lewis hit the first of two free throws to put Fannin up 6-4 after Banks County had closed the gap to 5-4.
Then Ledford drained a three to put Fannin on top 9-4 before Banks began closing the gap.
As the first quarter end neared with Banks ahead, Albany Cole scored to close the gap to 15-14 before Banks County took a 17-14 lead at the buzzer.
The next eight minutes was dead even with both teams scoring six points, Ledford scoring four of Fannin’s and Lewis adding two points.
Fannin closed the gap in the third quarter when Lewis scored a layup off a long, one handed, full court pass from Jabaley. With Fannin trailing 23-22, Ethington hit a three from the corner to put Fannin on top 25-23.
The Lady Rebels stayed on top until the quarter ended at 32-31.
Ledford, a junior, was the leading scorer with 22 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds.
Lewis posted another double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Also a junior, she was credited with three blocked shots.
Jabaley came away from the game with nine points, five rebounds and four assists, including a full court pass that would have made a center fielder proud. Jabaley is only a sophomore.
Ethington, also a junior, came home from Macon with four points, four rebounds, and three asssists.
Emma Buchanan, one of only three seniors on the team, pulled down three rebounds.
Callie Ensley, another of the trio of seniors, did not score, but Chastain credited her with playing tremendous defense.
Fannin County finished the season with the state championship, the region championship by compling a 16-0 region record, and a 29-2 overall record. The Lady Rebels outscored their post season opponents 330 to 219.