GREENE COUNTY
Lake Oconee Academy secured the top seed in the region tournament following wins over Washington-Wilkes and Aquinas last week.
LOA head coach Savannah Soles said finishing the drill and securing the top spot was her team’s primary goal as the season ended.
The Lady Titans did just that as they beat Washington-Wilkes 49-26 at home last Tuesday on Senior Night. They also beat Aquinas on the road last Friday by a score of 42-33.
“When games matter, I see a different light in their eyes,” Soles said.
The games now matter as LOA is looking to clinch its fourth-straight region title. They open region tournament play on Thursday night against Towns County at Warren County High School.
“I think a lot of people at the beginning of the season didn’t expect us to be in this position,” Soles said. “It’s been fun watching them proving everyone wrong.”
The Lady Titans graduated four players from last year’s team, with three of them being starters.
Lake Oconee Academy finished the regular season with an overall record of 17-8 and a 10-2 record in the region.
LOA seniors Georgia Bosart and Jane Monachello played a big role in their success. The duo has been a part of three region championships and a state title.
Soles said it speaks volumes to the type of players Bosart and Monachello are. After the team lost so much from last year, they still stayed the course and set the standard for the program, Soles added.
“Senior leadership is key,” Soles emphasized. “They’ve done a lot for us this season.”
She said those two know what it takes to win in postseason basketball is extremely valuable. Bosart can score consistently on offense and manages to grab rebounds while Monachello plays stellar defense.
The focus for the Lady Titans has now moved to the region tournament. They’ll face some tough competition.
“We gotta go take care of business this week, though,” Soles said. “It’s hard to beat a team twice.”
On Thursday, Lake Oconee Academy will be going for its third win over Towns County this season.
According to Soles, the Lady Titans had a great start to the week by preparing for the region tournament. They know what lies ahead and are doing everything they can to be ready for this week.
“We had one of our best practices of the whole year this week,” Soles added.
Leaving everything on the floor is something this LOA team believes. The Lady Titans have some great competitors on it, and that bodes well for them when they reach the state playoffs.
Still, Lake Oconee Academy is taking it one game at a time. And right now, the focus is on Towns County and adding another region title to the trophy case.
“No matter if they win or lose, if they left everything out there, then you can live with the outcome,” Soles said. “When you hate losing, you’re going to play well. We have to play our best.”