Northwest Whitfield girls rolling as playoffs begin

TUNNEL HILL, Ga. - While it's true the Northwest Whitfield Lady Bruins resemble coach Greg Brown in many attributes, this basketball team follows the lead of its senior point guard in style and attitude.

So when Bria Clemmons made it known she was tired of losing region championship games, it wasn't just a statement. It was a not-so-veiled message to her teammates that being good isn't good enough.

After having lost four consecutive region finals, the Lady Bruins followed Clemmons' lead and rolled to a 72-49 win over Heritage in last week's Region 6-AAAA championship game.

"Bria Clemmons may have played the best single game against Heritage that I could remember," Brown said after her performance that included 21 points, 13 assists and six rebounds. "She had a part in every basket except two, which is something I can never remember seeing."

Northwest (21-5) began its late-season hot streak after a 14-point loss at Heritage on Jan. 27. Clemmons let it be known following the game that the effort was not acceptable and the Lady Bruins followed with five consecutive wins, the closest by 19 points.

"When we lost to them at their place, it left a bad taste in our mouth and we had to get it out," Clemmons said. "We came into that championship game focused. We knew this was our year, and we had to step up and prove it."

Of course, the team isn't hoping that's the biggest highlight of the season. Northwest hosts St. Pius X (12-16) on Saturday in the opening round of the Class AAAA state tournament, a rematch of last season's opener in which the Lady Bruins rolled to a 61-48 win. A win would guarantee at least one more home game.

"We are playing a quality team in St. Pius," said Brown, whose junior-heavy team also features Nicole Bates, Rylee Maret and Holly Heath. "We were fortunate enough to win last year, but this is a better team coming in here. We are in a tough bracket, but if you're going to get there you have to beat some good people. To keep winning we are going to go play hard every single game, something Bria and this team is known for."

Clemmons, who has had to be reminded in the past to look more for her own shot instead of just creating, is ready to accept the challenge of taking the team on her back if necessary. Whatever it takes to keep playing.

"We've got to finish the job," she said. "Do our roles on the team and give everything we have. We have to be willing to give it everything we have every minute we're together. If we do that, we'll be all right."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22