Bowling
Green takes second straight south state title
Southern
Sports & Travel
The
second ranked Bowling Green Lady Bucs captured their second consecutive Class
AA South State championship on Saturday with a 77-58 win over fifth ranked
Simpson.
Five
Bowling Green players scored in double digits and the Lady Bucs forced 23
Simpson turnovers in improving to 33-1 on the season and advancing to next
week’s Class AA State Tournament as the top seed from the south.
(Above) Bowling Green point guard Mackayla Dykes (#2) goes airborne in the first half
Bowling
Green’s lone turnover in the first quarter came on their first possession and
Simpson cashed in as Lauren Griffin canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key
to put the Lady Cougars up 3-0 early into the contest.
Simpson’s
lead didn’t hold long as Bowling Green’s pressure defense forced six early
quarter turnovers to fuel a 13-0 run.
Caroline
Haik would get Bowling Green on the board with two free throws and Melissa
Crowe would convert a Simpson turnover into a 3-pointer from the wing to give
the Lady Bucs the lead at 5-3 at the 6:44 mark.
An
Ashley Foret steal in the backcourt and lay-in extended the lead to 7-3 and
forced a Simpson timeout.
Bowling
Green responded as Mackayla Dykes canned two free throws and Foret did the same
to push the Lady Buc cushion to 11-3 with 5:56 remaining in the opening
quarter.
The
13-0 run was capped on a Mackayla Dykes assist to Caroline Haik as Bowling
Green stretched their lead to ten points at 13-3.
Simpson
stopped the run on a Maegan Griffith bucket in the paint at the 4:33 mark but
Bowling Green answered with a 6-2 spurt to take their biggest lead of the
quarter at 18-7.
Bowling
Green took a 22-11 edge into the second quarter but Simpson would show some
life in the early minutes.
Maegan
Griffith sank two free throws to open the quarter and the Lady Cougars managed
to pull back to within eight points at 28-20 after two more Griffith free
throws with 5:54 left in the half.
(Above) Melissa Crowe (#12) of Bowling Green drives for 2 of her game high 19 points
The
deficit jumped back to eleven points at 31-20 just twelve seconds later as
Kristina Jerrell drained a 3-pointer from the corner but Simpson would once
more mount a charge as Brittany Gardner sank two free throws and Gracie
Knight’s driving lay-in at the 4:13 mark pulled Simpson to within seven points
at 31-24. Bowling Green then produced a 9-0 run spurred by two Melissa Crowe
buckets to increase their lead to 40-24 with 2:13 to play in the half.
After
two more Brittany Gardner free throws Bowling Green grabbed their largest lead of the half at
43-26 when point guard Mackayla Dykes converted on a driving lay-in, plus one,
with just over one minute remaining.
Bowling
Green would take a 45-29 lead into intermission and came out on fire from the
perimeter to start the third quarter.
Following
two Brittany Gardner free throws Melissa Crowe, Reagan Moody and Mackayla Dykes
drained 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to balloon the Bowling Green lead
to 54-31.
Moody
would hit two more 3-pointers in the quarter, her third came with 47 seconds
left in the quarter as the sophomore hit from the top of the key to give Bowling
Green a commanding 64-39 lead.
Brittany
Gardner closed the quarter with a basket in the paint, plus one, but the Lady
Cougars faced a twenty two point deficit at 64-42 to end the quarter.
Simpson
would get no closer than sixteen points in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green
went on take the Class AA South State title.
Melissa
Crowe led Bowling Green with a game high 19 points, Mackayla Dykes added 14, Reagan
Moody had 13 points and 8 rebounds, Kristina Jerrell and Ashley Foret had 10
each, Caroline Haik 7 and Breanna McNeese and Lexi Voltz 2 apiece.
Simpson
(29-11) was led by Brittany Gardner with 17 points, Maegan Griffith added 14,
Abby Dunston 12, Lauren Griffin 7, Gracie Knight 5 and Emily Crace 3.
Bowling
Green will take on Indianola on Wednesday while Simpson will battle Prairie
View Tuesday.
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Post Game with Bowling Green Head Coach Pat King
