Following a strong start, Lake Oconee Academy girls basketball is now midway through the 2024-25 season.
The Lady Titans went into the two-week holiday break with a 7-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in region play.
LOA girls’ head coach Savannah Soles has seen her team grow and fight adversity early in the year. She said her players have learned from the team’s three losses and are starting to hit their stride before region play starts.
“I think we’ve had a good start to the year. We would like to be undefeated, but I think losses early in the season help you grow and see areas of weakness,” Soles said. “So, I’m proud of how the girls responded after each loss.”
Heading into region play, LOA played at a high level outside a few games. The team unexpectedly lost to an inferior Washington-Wilkes squad but bounced back and grinded out a 41-40 win over Class AAA Aquinas.
A strong third-quarter effort from the Lady Titans gave them a lead after trailing at the half. They made adjustments and held off a surge from the Lady Fighting Irish late in the fourth quarter to capture the win.
It was a big moment for Soles and her team, which didn’t want to lose again before the break. Seniors Briana Glave, Mary Claire McCommons, and junior Ansleigh Padgett helped lead the Lady Titans.
According to their head coach, LOA’s girls are a “resilient” bunch. Soles has seen many positive takeaways from her team’s performances, but she also said when things don’t go her players’ way, they adjust and stay calm.
“They never quit and play hard for four quarters,” Soles said. “So, no matter what the score is, whether things are going our way or not, like if we’re not shooting the ball well or in foul trouble, they stay together. They never quit, which is key for us because we’re a much different team than we’ve been in years past.”
LOA has struggled to rebound due to its size disadvantage, but still, Soles knows her girls have big hearts.
They’re gritty and fight for rebounds on each end of the floor. The effort hasn’t gone unnoticed by their coach.
“We’ve always been small, but I feel like we’re really small [when it comes to] rebounding and staying out of foul trouble,” Soles explained. “We tend to be struggling in those areas, but they don’t give up, and I’m proud of that. You can’t really coach that. You either have that, or you don’t. So, I’m proud of the girls for that.”
LOA is in a good place heading into the final half of the year. Soles just wants the girls to keep working to improve.
“They’ve taken feedback really well and made some good adjustments, so I like where we are sitting,” Soles said. “I think we’re gaining confidence as a group, learning to play together more, and starting to hit our stride, which is key as we’re about to start to get going in region play.”
Lake Oconee Academy will play at home against Elite Scholars Academy on Jan. 3 and the following day against GMC Prep in Milledgeville.
The Lady Titans will play another non-region game at Bethlehem Christian Academy on Jan. 7 before resuming region play against Warren County on Jan. 10.