CALHOUN, Ga. – With so much on the line Tuesday night, Ringgold girls’ basketball coach Margaret Stockburger was dumbfounded at halftime of a first-place showdown at Calhoun.
Trailing by eight, shooting less than 30 percent and giving up numerous offensive rebounds had the veteran coach in an ill mood. However, after a not-so-gentle reminder of what was at stake, the Lady Tigers roared back to pull out a 41-39 win.
At 12-0 in Region 6-AAA with four games left, Ringgold just has to split its league games to clinch the regular-season title and the right to host the region tournament.
“I guess maybe some halftime yelling and screaming woke them up, because it looked like they were asleep in the first half,” Stockburger said. “They did a wonderful job of coming back and tying it going into the fourth quarter. From there we told them it was a new game and just to get good shots and protect the ball.”
Consecutive 3-pointers from Kaylee Womack and Sidney Shutters early in the third period cut Calhoun’s lead to one, and Mia Clark’s basket to end the period tied the game at 30. Ringgold took its first lead on a Kiwi Dale short jumper, 34-33, then stretched it to three on two Bethany Headrick free throws.