Lake Oconee Academy (8-7, 3-2 Class A Division II Region 8) has responded well with a pair of region wins over Aquinas and Washington Wilkes following a Jan. 6 loss to rival Greene County.
The Lady Titans’ victories over the Lady Fighting Irish and Lady Tigers are huge confidence boosters as they head into region games against Towns County, Lincoln County, and Warren County.
According to coach Savannah Soles, the bounce-back after the tough loss was what her team needed.
“It was very character-building for us. Looking back, there are some things we didn’t do well,” Soles said. “Kudos to Greene County’s staff for capitalizing on and doing something to make our team think and get frustrated. They took Georgia (Bosart) and Ansleigh (Padgett) out of the game.”
The Lady Tigers’ defense limited Bosart and Padgett, who are two of Lake Oconee Academy’s top scorers. However, Bosart was instrumental in the win over Aquinas as Padgett missed the game due to an injury.
After a slow opening quarter, LOA’s offensive attack started to pick up as the game was tied at the half. The Lady Titans’ defensive game plan of suffocating the Lady Fighting Irish with pressure worked.
LOA’s halfcourt traps forced several turnovers in the third quarter, leading to baskets for Bosart, Monachello, and Brianna Glave. The Lady Titans limited Aquinas to 15 points in the second half.
Bosart posted a double-double against the Lady Fighting Irish, with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Fellow senior point guard Jane Monachello scored 14 points and grabbed nine boards as well. Glave, a junior power forward, scored five points with six rebounds, and four steals against Aquinas.
Lake Oconee Academy followed that with a 35-33 win over Washington-Wilkes without Bosart and Padgett. The two talented Lady Titans rested before their upcoming battle with Warren County.
The absence of Bosart and Padgett gave Soles a chance to trust her other players to lead them to victory. Glave led with 11 points and Monachello tallied nine in the two-point win over the Lady Tigers.
Soles shouted out Mary Claire McCommons, who “stepped up” and ran the point guard position Tuesday. She scored five points and sophomore Laura Beth Harris scored a season-high eight as well.
Soles acknowledged her team is locked in and ready for the tough competition. She thinks these next few games will only help her team in the long run, and they will be battle-tested for the playoffs.
“I think anybody can win on any given night. It just depends on who is going to show up and play the hardest or compete and make the adjustments in order to be successful,” Soles said. “We are excited about Warren (County) on our home court. I thought we played solid but came up short.”
LOA’s matchup on Friday against Warren County is a huge one. The Lady Screaming Devils topped the Lady Titans 55-54 on Jan. 5. It was the Lady Titans’ first of just two region losses so far this year.
Lake Oconee Academy will try to keep the momentum going moving forward on Friday. The Lady Titans will face No. 7 Warren County on Friday (1/19).
“We’re ready to be tested again,” Soles said. “We hope the last few games have made us better.”