RINGGOLD, Ga. – Friday was supposed to be the night when a girls’ basketball program on the rise celebrated a new milestone.
Sometimes in sports, though, “supposed-tos” become “not-yets.”
The Heritage Lady Generals will have to wait at least another year to record that elusive state playoff victory after suffering a 48-45 loss to Madison County. For the second consecutive season a Heritage team with 20-plus wins lost a home playoff game for the same reason.
“You can play good defense and run the right plays, but in the end you have to score the basketball, and for the second year in a row we just didn’t,” Heritage coach Eddie Bryant said with a somber shake of his head after the loss in the first round of the Class AAAA bracket.
There were short shots that went in and out, layup attempts that bounced off and more than a few outside shots that hit nothing. There was an early 7-0 deficit against a Lady Red Raiders team that came in 13-14 but grabbed a 22-10 rebound edge in the first half.
Still, despite the cold start and 13 first-half points from Madison County post Jordan Bailey, Heritage (25-4) was tied at 20 at halftime.
“As badly as we played early, we still felt good about it,” Bryant said. “We got things going a bit in the third quarter and we rebounded a lot better.”
The Lady Generals also decided to get physical with Bailey, who was surrounded in the paint by Emily Wiley, Sydney Smith and sagging Heritage guards. The improved defense and rebounding and the suddenly hot hand of sophomore Ansley Bice turned the tables as she scored five consecutive points for a 29-24 Heritage lead midway through the period.
However, just when the team had solved Bailey, guard A’dryanne Maxwell stepped up. The cat-quick Maxwell hit a 3-pointer and two free throws, then had a steal and a dish for a 3-pointer from Bethany Fortson as Madison County struck right back. Bailey ended the quarter with her only points of the period and a 34-32 lead.
“Our girls don’t mind mixing it up inside,” Madison County coach Dan Lampe said. “That’s our bread and butter. It was physical, but that’s playoff basketball and we responded.”
A Bailey basket two minutes into the final period gave Madison a 39-34 lead, but six quick Heritage points, including a Bice 3-pointer, put the Lady Generals back on top. Another Bice trey and Wiley’s putback had Heritage up 45-41 and finally feeling good.
They were the last points the home team scored. Ahead one with two minutes left, Heritage spread the floor and ran off more than a minute before Lampe instructed his team to foul with 42 seconds to play.
Shayla Ludy missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the Red Raiders quickly went inside to Bailey, who, drawing a triple team, passed the ball to a wide-open Sydney Armstrong for a go-ahead layup with 22 seconds left. Maxwell then made the play of the game with a steal on a pass that was intended for Wiley, who would have had a layup.
Maxwell was fouled, made two free throws with eight seconds left and was all over Tori Harvey as she shot a possible tying 3-pointer at the buzzer that fell off.
“It’s tough,” Bryant said, trying to find the right words. “These seniors have meant so much to this program, and they will do great things in life.”
Bice and Wiley led the Lady Generals with 13 points each, while Maxwell and Bailey led Madison County with 20 and 18 points.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22