GREENE COUNTY
After going undefeated the entire 2021-22 season, the Lake Oconee Academy girl’s basketball team finally tasted defeat last Saturday morning at Grayson High School. The Lady Titans tipped off against the North Paulding Wolfpack in the first game of a Sandy Spiel Shootout 42-32.
Savannah Soles, the team’s head coach, acknowledged that playing against a GHSA Class 7A school had its benefits even if the score didn’t indicate any.
“They are not just a 7A school, but a top-10 ranked 7A school with tremendous size throughout their lineup. We thought overall that the girls competed hard. They knew they were up against a challenge and embraced it,” Soles said. “We learned that we have to be able to execute our game plan even when it is difficult to do. This film will allow us to look at ways we can get better as we prepare for our region schedule. We knew North Paulding was going to challenge us, and that’s why we wanted them on the schedule.”
Lake Oconee Academy started off last weekend’s contest playing tough on the defensive end, but no one could get a bucket.
The Lady Titans ended the first quarter on a 6-2 run and still trailed 9-6 heading into the second. The team trailed by only two points at halftime, and senior Jada Williams helped keep it close with four steals in the first half. North Paulding opened up to start the second half and would eventually pull away from the Lady Titans enough for victory.
Soles attributed the Wolfpack’s size and athleticism to her team’s struggles down the stretch.
“North Paulding was long, quick, and athletic. They pressured the ball hard and did a good job of rotating quickly in their defense. They did to us what we are usually able to do to teams defensively,” Soles said. “They also did a good job of getting offensive boards, which not only gave them multiple looks each possession but also effectively took us out of our running game. We had very few easy baskets after the first quarter.”
>>> Click here to view the full-length album between Lake Oconee Academy and North Paulding
Lake Oconee Academy was able to get the deficit back down to single digits but was unable to maintain scoring runs.
The Lady Titans ended up being led by Williams in almost all statistical categories. The 5-foot-4 guard ended her night with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and six steals.
Moving into its first region game against Lincoln County this Friday, Soles believes it’s time to go back to the drawing board a little bit.
“We are working on being physically and mentally tough. We are really focusing on doing the little things right and how to execute our sets,” Soles said. “We are trying to get better at fundamental basketball, but also working hard to try to build quality depth. We think we have a few girls who do not have a lot of experience but will be able to help us as the season progresses.”
Ultimately, the Lady Titans still have all the weapons they need to make another deep playoff run.
Even after breaking the program’s 29-game win streak, Soles told the Lake Oconee News the girls are just excited to play tough competition in preparation for region play.
“They are competitive and they know that making another championship run isn’t going to be easy,” Soles said. “They have really enjoyed getting to play against tougher opponents at the beginning of the season knowing that it will help prepare them for region play and state tournament time. We are a hungry team.”