Defense and junior Jaden Young helped Morgan County top Dougherty in Tuesday’s first-round playoff tilt.
Young scored 18 points for the Lady Dogs, who defeated the Lady Trojans 49-41 to advance to the Sweet 16 round of the Class 3A state playoffs. Their defensive effort in the second half also helped them move on.
If Morgan County head coach Milfred Franklin could describe Tuesday’s with win one word, it would be “defense.”
“It was a defensive game,” Franklin said. “One thing I was very proud of was our communication on defense. The girls are starting to realize that defense is going to get us where we need to go. I was very pleased with that.”
It also doesn’t hurt when Young, Morgan County’s leading scorer, helps the team when it needs her the most. Young scored 11 points in the second half, with seven coming in the final quarter of the game on Tuesday.
While Dougherty’s leading scorer, Jahana Chambers, scored 21 points, the rest of her was limited. The Lady Trojans had four players combine to score the other 20 points, which is a testament to the Lady Dogs’ defense.
After trailing 24-22 at the half, Franklin said his team made some key adjustments heading into the second half.
“We tried to make a few adjustments throughout the game,” Franklin said. “I’m very proud that we made them.”
Young and senior Precious Benford traded baskets in the third quarter, totaling eight points. Fellow senior Destiny Smith also had a 3-point the old-fashioned way, giving Morgan County a 33-29 lead going into the fourth.
Dougherty didn’t give up, though. After the Lady Dogs got up 35-30, Chambers scored five straight points to tie it.
Morgan County responded with a 4-0 run of its own and never trailed after that point. A huge 3-pointer by Young, followed by a basket from freshman Madison Holcomb helped build up the lead to near double digits.
Franklin wasn’t surprised to see his team’s leading scorer step up in such a pivotal moment of the game and shine.
“Our offense was kind of sputtering throughout the game, but when she hit those key shots, it gave the girls a little pick me up,” Franklin said. “And it really propelled us to gain some momentum throughout the game.”
Cydney Burke, who left the game due to injury, finished with nine points. Kymora Smith contributed eight points, while Holcomb added seven points. Benford finished the night against the Lady Troians with four points.
This weekend, Morgan County (16-12) will face top-seed Calvary Day (21-5) down in Savannah. The Lady Cavaliers defeated No. 4 seed Pike County 70-37 on Tuesday night. They’ve won 14 out of their last 16 games.
Franklin and his players didn’t celebrate the win over Dougherty for long as they needed to get get ready for Calvary Day.
“It’ll be a challenge, for sure,” Franklin said. “But listen, they’ve got to get ready for us, too.”