Lady Cougars capture top seed
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
A stingy defense and the play of seniors Anna Katelyn Mangold and Mary Lindsey Magee, who combined for 29 points, lifted 2nd ranked Brookhaven to a 48-36 win over 9th ranked Bowling Green to win the Class AA South State Championship in Columbia on Saturday.
Brookhaven earned their 11th South State title in the past 13 years and will enter next week’s state tourney in a familiar position, the #1 seed from the south.
While Brookhaven managed to capture the top seed in Class AA South on Saturday it wasn’t an easy task as the Lady Cougars had their hands full with a much improved Bowling Green squad. Bowling Green grabbed an early 5-4 lead on Beth Reedy’s 3-pointer from the wing but Brookhaven’s strategy was clear from the onset as post players Mangold and Magee dominated the paint early on as the two seniors scored Brookhaven’s first 13 points, but with 2:54 remaining in the opening quarter the Lady Cougar’s were clinging to a 13-11 lead.
Following a Summer Calhoun free throw that extended the lead to 14-11 Bowling Green knotted the contest on a Melissa Crowe driving lay-in, plus one, with 45 seconds left in the quarter.
Brookhaven regained the lead on a Terah Winborne driving basket off the glass at the 24 second mark and Mary Lindsey Magee hit on one of two free throws to give the Lady Cougars a 17-14 lead after one quarter of play.
Magee and Anna Katelyn Mangold both hit short jumpers to give Brookhaven their biggest lead at 21-14 less than two minutes into the second quarter but the Lady Cougars couldn’t shake Bowling Green. Caroline Haik’s jumper from the elbow and two Beth Reedy free throws pulled Bowling Green to within five points twice in the final half of the quarter but a Terah Winborne baseline drive with 5 seconds left sent the 2nd ranked Lady Cougars into the locker-room holding a seven point advantage at 29-22.
Brookhaven would grab their biggest lead of the game at 34-24 at the 5:20 mark of the third quarter on a Terah Winborne 3-pointer from the corner but Bowling Green answered with a 9-0 run sparked by Melissa Crowe’s driving floater over Anna Katelyn Mangold to pull the Lady Bucs to within one point at 34-33 with 1:37 left in the third quarter.
Brookhaven closed out the scoring in the quarter on a Marian Allen 3-pointer from the corner to take a 37-33 lead.

Mary Lindsey Magee and Anna Katelyn Mangold both converted baskets in the paint to start the fourth quarter to give Brookhaven some breathing room at 41-33 just over one minute in.
Bowling Green would pull to within six points at 41-35 on two Caroline Haik free throws at the 5:27 mark but Brookhaven would finish with a 7-1 run capped off by Terah Winborne who canned 4 of 4 from the line the final one minute of play to give Brookhaven a 48-36 win.
“Bowling Green played really well today,” said Brookhaven head coach Barry Gray. “They made us have to play at another level and our post play and defensive effort was good.”
Brookhaven improves to 25-3 heading into next week’s Class AA state tournament at Brookhaven as the top seed from the south while Bowling Green falls to 18-11 and will be the #2 seed.
Mary Lindsey Magee had a game high 17 points to lead Brookhaven, Terah Winborne added 13, Anna Katelyn Mangold had 12, Marian Allen 4 and Summer Calhoun and Anna Lofton had 1 apiece.
Bowling Green was led by Mackayla Dykes and freshman Melissa Crowe with 11 points each, Caroline Haik and Beth Reedy had 5 apiece and Laken Adams 4.