RINGGOLD, Ga. - The slogan on the back of the warmup shirts clearly sums up the focus of the Ringgold High School girls' basketball team.
"Last year we knocked on the door. This year we are kicking it in."
That metaphorical door hasn't been breached just yet, but it's barely hanging on. The Lady Tigers (16-2, 12-0 Region 6-AAA) need just two wins during their final four league games to clinch their first region championship since 1986.
They have done it with a very old-school approach. This isn't a team that drains 3-pointers at will or wears opponents down with unstoppable play in the low post.
It's a team firmly entrenched in the style of play veteran coach Margaret Stockburger utilized for years at Northwest Whitfield and since taking over at Ringgold before the 2013-14 season: move the ball on offense, crash the boards and cause as much havoc as possible on the defensive end.
As a result, the Lady Tigers have regularly won games by scoring fewer than 50 points, including Tuesday's 41-39 win over two-time defending region champion Calhoun. While Ringgold's offense was shooting less than 30 percent, its defense caused a veteran Lady Yellow Jackets lineup to commit 20 turnovers.
"They are just very good at what they do," said Calhoun coach Jerry Pruett, whose team's only two region losses this season have been to Ringgold. "They play well together, and they're very good on the defensive end."
Senior post Bethany Headrick, who has averaged a double-double the past two seasons, is the team's clear leader and go-to player when a big basket is needed. Point guard Kiwi Dale is the most improved Lady Tiger, while Dare Schley and Sidney Shutters are the epitome of the do-whatever-it-takes-to-win player Stockburger loves.
"We have a nice mix," Stockburger said. "The biggest improvement I've seen this year is in our maturity. They don't get down when things go wrong during a game, and they usually have found ways to win."
As was the case Tuesday. Ringgold trailed by eight points at halftime and had managed just 16 points but dominated the second half to secure the huge win.
There is, however, cause for concern. Starting guard Karoline Sholl, one of the team's top outside shooters and on-ball defenders, is out after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in her left knee. The Lady Tigers hope to have her back for the postseason.
"She will be out four to six weeks, and this is the third game she's missed," Stockburger said. "It's killing her, but the team has stepped up and taken on the responsibilities she had. We have to keep working on it until she can come back. We're going to get her back, but we're not going to push it."
Tuesday's win also put Ringgold in strong position to host the region tournament, which goes to the girls' regular season champion. The state's seventh-ranked Class AAA team will use the next two weeks to prepare for the postseason and will, Stockburger said, remain focused on its mission.
"We aren't going to look too far ahead - I won't let them - but we do know the postseason is a different kind of basketball," she said. "We've been very good at focusing on one specific thing and not getting distracted.
"We have a very good chance to host the region tournament, but the girls expect more than that."
A different door, perhaps, to destroy.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.