After reaching the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year, the No. 5 seed Morgan County girls' basketball team took another step forward on Tuesday, defeating No. 20 Carver (Columbus) at home to advance.
The Lady Dogs toppled the Lady Tigers 58-33 to advance to the Class 2A Final Four.
During this three-game stretch, the Lady Dogs relied on veterans Cydney Burke and Jaden Young. They also counted on sophomore Madison Holcomb, who played in last year’s playoff run to the Elite Eight.
Morgan County head coach Milfred Franklin said having players with playoff experience is essential.
“Having veteran-type players like them helps us a lot because they’ve been there before,” Franklin said. “Their basketball IQ and composure about themselves really spread among their teammates when things get shaky.”
Morgan County took an early lead against Carver and didn’t look back. The Lady Dogs jumped out to a 19-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and further extended the deficit over the Lady Tigers to 17 points at the half.
Morgan County did an excellent job of limiting turnovers. Burke, Young, Holcomb, and others handled the ball well.
Carver also struggled to find any rhythm offensively. The Lady Dogs pressured the Lady Tigers, who couldn’t get the ball up the floor on a consistent basis. They turned the ball over several times in the first half.
Franklin thought his team made very few mistakes against Carver, which helped secure the victory.
“Carver is a team that traps all over the floor,” Franklin said. “They’re a team that's very athletic and fast. We had to keep our composure and anticipate their speed because we hadn’t encountered speed like this before.”
Morgan County built up a 26-point lead at the end of the third quarter and cruised to the lopsided win.
Burke scored a team-high 24 points, followed by Holcomb, who added 14. Young contributed 10 points in the win.
Morgan County defeated No. 28 Drew Charter and No. 21 Westside (Macon) before knocking off Carver.
Burke, Holcomb, and Young also played significant roles in the Lady Dogs’ first two postseason wins.
Franklin thinks his players are finally starting to peak at the right time.
“These last few games, our girls have really kept their composure, fought hard, and bought into the system or the process of what we’re trying to accomplish when we step on the court,” Franklin said. “They’ve been doing a much better job. They seem to be playing a lot more freely and relaxed. They’re not letting the atmosphere or the type of game we’re involved in get the better of them.”
Morgan County (21-9) will play No. 1 Murray County (29-1) in the Final Four at 1 p.m. on Friday at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus.
The winner will face No. 2 Josey or No. 3 Hardaway in the state title game next week in Macon.