Bowling Green takes AA South State
Southern Sports & Travel
The Bowling Green Lady Buccaneers basketball program took a huge step forward last night in winning their first Class AA South State Championship since 1991 with a 46-32 win over seventh ranked Simpson.
Junior point guard Mackayla Dykes led all scorers with 20 points and the Bowling Green defense limited Simpson to 15 second half points as they locked down the top seed from the South entering next week’s Class AA State Tournament in Grenada.
Bowling Green head coach Pat King couldn’t have asked for a better start as the second ranked Lady Bucs raced out to a 12-0 lead on the torrid shooting of Mackayla Dykes.
Dykes scored the first seven points of the contest in less than two minutes after the opening tip and after teammate Ashley Foret extended the Bowling Green lead to 9-0 on an 18 foot jumper Dykes rang up her second 3-pointer to push the advantage to 12-0 with 4:02 left in the opening quarter.
(Above) Bowling Green's Melissa Crowe (#12) pulls down a rebound late in the fourth quarter
Simpson got on the board at the 3:42 mark of the quarter on a Lauren Griffin offensive rebound and put back followed by Brittany Gardner’s bucket at 1:21 to get to within eight points at 12-4 but Mackayla Dykes sank a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key with 18 seconds left to extend the Bowling Green lead back to 15-4 to end the quarter.
Bowling Green grabbed their biggest lead at 15-4 on Reagan Moody’s 3-pointer from the corner following a Simpson turnover one minute into the second quarter.
Simpson had difficulty getting the ball to Brittany Gardner in the post but senior guard Micah Windham began hitting some perimeter shots to free up the middle of the Bowling Green defense.
Windham hit three perimeter jumpers during the quarter, the last was an 18 foot jumper at the 2:41 mark that trimmed the deficit to 24-14 but the Lady Cougars would head into intermission down 27-17.
Simpson had little success in cutting into the Bowling Green led in the third quarter.
Bowling Green wasted little time in increasing their lead back to twelve points at 29-17 on Melissa Crowe’s assist to Caroline Haik to start the quarter.
Momentum started to swing Simpson’s way at the 2:10 mark of the quarter when Bowling Green center Caroline Haik picked up her fourth foul and had to sit with the Lady Bucs holding a 31-21 advantage.
(Above) Simpson's Brittany Gardner collects 2 of her 7 points in the first half
After two Ashley Foret free throws gave Bowling Green a 33-21 lead Simpson immediately went to Brittany Gardner in the paint and the junior delivered with a basket, plus one, to close out the scoring in the third quarter with the Lady Cougars down 33-24.
Lauren Griffin’s baseline drive at the 7:12 mark of the fourth quarter pulled the Lady Cougars to within seven points at 33-26 and Simpson capped a 7-2 run on Griffin’s assist to Gardner following a Bowling Green turnover to reduce the deficit to 33-28.
Simpson would get no closer as Bowling Green reinserted Caroline Haik halfway through the quarter and the junior wasted little time in making her presence known with a bucket at the 3:57 mark to up the lead to 35-28.
Reagan Moody followed with an offensive rebound and put back on Bowling Green’s next possession to give the Lady Bucs breathing room at 37-28.
After a Caroline Haik free throw Bowling Green finished off a 7-0 run on two Mackayla Dykes free throws to give the Lady Bucs a comfortable 40-28 lead with 1:44 remaining in regulation.
After two Lauren Griffin free throws got Simpson to within ten points again at 40-30 Bowling Green finished the contest with a 6-2 run to wrap up their first Class AA South State title since 1991, which was the same year the program won the state championship.
“Dykes just took over in the first quarter,” said Simpson head coach David Granville. “We cut it to five points in the fourth quarter but turnovers hurt us but I’m really proud of our girls. If we can play better defense and cut down on our turnovers I feel like we can match up well next week.”
Bowling Green junior Mackayla Dykes led all scorers with 20 points, Reagan Moody added 11, Caroline Haik 7, Ashley Foret 5 and Melissa Crowe 3.
Micah Windham led Simpson with 8 points, Brittany Gardner 7, Lauren Griffin added 6, Hallie Stubbs 4, Auguste Knight 3 and Callie Martin and Abby Dunston 2 each.
Bowling Green improves to 32-3 and will take on Riverdale on Wednesday at 4:00 in the first round of the Class State Tournament in Grenada.
Simpson falls to 26-9 and will face Oak Hill Wednesday at 6:30.
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Post Game with Bowling Green head coach Pat King
