GREENE COUNTY
Christian Heritage got the best of Lake Oconee Academy last Friday in a second-round playoff tilt.
The final few seconds of the game came down to free throws, and the Lady Lions took advantage of their opportunity to seal the game by nailing both to defeat the Lady Titans 49-47 in a tight battle.
LOA has reached the state championship game for the past two seasons. After claiming the 2021-22 title, the Lady Titans lost last year, and now their 2023-24 campaign ends in the second round.
“It’s very disappointing, but we had a great season,” LOA head coach Savannah Soles said. “We fought until the end. It’s an unfortunate end to a year in which people didn’t think we’d get back to this point.”
Christian Heritage led LOA 33-24 at the end of the third quarter. The Lady Titans didn’t give up, though. As they’ve done many times before, they mounted a comeback to get within striking distance.
However, the Lady Lions got clutch play from Carly Bramlett and Brooklyn Stallion, as they combined for 30 of their team’s 49 points against LOA.
“We didn’t play well in the second and third quarters, but we made strides in the fourth quarter,” Soles said. “We scored 23 points in the fourth quarter to make it a game, but we ultimately came up short.”
LOA held a 12-10 advantage after the first quarter, but Christian Heritage took a slight lead at the half. The Lady Titans built up their lead to nine points in the third, powered by Bramlett and Stallion.
In the fourth quarter, LOA leading scorer Georgia Bosart shined. The senior guard helped her team make it a close game, but the Lady Lions just found a way to grind out the win.
Bosart finished with a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. She also had seven assists, four steals, and one block. Junior Briana Glave added 12 points and seven boards.
Bosart and fellow senior Jane Monachello end their LOA careers on a sad note, but the duo helped the program win four consecutive region championships, two straight state championship appearances, one state title, and made the state playoffs every year while at LOA.
Bosart scored more than 1,000 points in her LOA career and recently was named Class A Division II Region 8 Player of the Year. Monachello was named to the All-Region honorable mention list.
“I feel for our two seniors – Georgia (Bosart) and Jane (Monachello) – they have made such an impact on our program throughout the past four years,” Soles said. “They’ve accomplished so much, and it was an honor to coach them both. They left everything out on the court the other night.”
In Soles’ second year at the helm, Lake Oconee Academy finished its season 20-9 overall and 10-2 in region play. The Lady Titans also captured the Region 8 championship a few weeks ago.
Despite losing Bosart and Monachello, the future remains bright for LOA. The Lady Titans return contributors from this year such as Glave, Mary Claire McCommons, and Ansleigh Padgett.
“It’s going to sting a little bit losing Georgia and Jane, but we’ve still got a strong core returning next year,” Soles said. “We also have a talented eighth-grade class coming up. Now, it’s just waiting to see who steps up and takes on a leadership role. Our goals are going to be the same next year.”