RINGGOLD, Ga. — If there was any worry a devastating loss in the region championship game would linger, Ringgold’s girls’ basketball team showed Tuesday that heartbreak has turned into fuel.
The Lady Tigers posted a convincing 54-39 win over Callaway in the Georgia state playoffs.
After Saturday’s last-seconds loss to Calhoun, the message from coach Margaret Stockburger was simple.
“Everyone’s 0-0 going into state,” Stockburger said. “We’ve had goals all along, and our girls never give up. I was a little worried the way we left Saturday night, but after I saw them in practice yesterday, I knew they were ready to prove something.”
Ringgold struggled to find a rhythm in the first half Tuesday, trying to maneuver a bigger, stronger Callaway team. The Lady Cavaliers used big bodies to cause discomfort in the lane and gather rebounds.
“I told them two things (at halftime),” Stockburger said. “We had to block out better, and we had to cut down on turnovers. We also felt like we were standing on offense too much and wanted to start passing the ball more.”
The Lady Tigers pulled away in the second half, and their nine-point halftime lead grew to 19 by the end of the third quarter. Bethany Headrick paced the offense with 24 points, including 14 in the final two quarters.
“I’ve never done it before, so it feels good,” she said of winning a state game.
Headrick, who also pitched in on the defensive end with six steals, said the team rallied around each other in practice in response to the stinging loss to Calhoun.
Asked if it would still serve as motivation moving forward, Headrick said, “Oh, yeah. It was heartbreaking.”
Callaway outscored Ringgold in the final quarter, but the deficit had grown too large for that to matter. The Lady Cavaliers were led by Famari Hardnett’s 13 points.
Dare Schley added nine points and nine rebounds for Ringgold, while Kiwi Dale dished out five assists.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.