MORGAN COUNTY
The Morgan County girls’ basketball team has had an exceptional season so far and has kept it rolling after losing its first region game to Cross Creek last week.
Since the loss last Tuesday, the Lady Bulldogs have defeated Monroe Area and Salem, both in convincing fashion.
The Lady Bulldogs' most recent accomplishment was defeating the Academy of Richmond County at home this past Tuesday, 60-31. The win moved the team to 16-4 on the year and 5-1 in Class AAA’s Region 4.
After the game, Morgan County head coach Milfred Franklin told the Lake Oconee News that he was very proud of an all-around "team win"
“It felt great to come out and get a team win tonight. The first time we played ARC, they played us real close, but we made a lot of mental mistakes, and we shot the ball poorly,” Franklin said. “I felt much better about today because it was at home, and our girls played together so we came out on top.”
The Lady Bulldogs started the game off by playing well on the defensive end.
The Lady Musketeers were unable to get the ball in the paint for most of the game, and Franklin’s team capitalized by forcing multiple turnovers.
Whether it was a steal or defensive rebound, every Morgan County player was able to send good outlet passes down the court for transition baskets the other way.
The Lady Bulldogs only led by three points after the first quarter but slowly pulled away as the game progressed. At halftime, Morgan County led 28-19, and the Bulldogs continued to play their game into the second half.
The team also passed the ball well, which Franklin acknowledged was a big part of his girls’ success.
“The more they share the ball, the less coaching that’s on me,” Franklin said. “The girls like each other and have bonded well, so we’re able to pass the ball much more up and down the court.”
Players such as senior Destiny Hunter and freshman Cydney Burke held down the center of the defense and helped grab most of the boards. Both girls also contributed to the Lady Bulldogs’ scoring total as Hunter ended with 20 points and Burke totaled 10.
Morgan County was able to play well enough in the third quarter to essentially put the game away.
The Lady Bulldogs hardly allowed any easy baskets, and the Lady Musketeers had to rely on the 3-point shot to keep them somewhat in the game.
After the buzzer sounded, Franklin’s team walked off the court with a 29-point win, which was the third-biggest margin of victory the squad has had all year.
Overall, Franklin understands that his girls will have to continue to play up to this level if they want to compete for a region championship and a potential state championship.
“The girls have gotten a better understanding of boxing out after we could’ve had more against Monroe Area, and that showed tonight,” Franklin said. “We were able to hold them to one pass and one shot most of the night, and I was proud that they took it upon themselves to box out more.”
Morgan County has four regular season games left before the region tournament in February.
Three of those games will be on the road, and the team’s last home matchup will be against Cross Creek on Friday, Feb. 3. The Lady Bulldogs currently sit second in the region and will hope to solidify a top spot once the postseason begins.