DALTON, Ga. — Dalton girls’ basketball coach Hannah Harris could not have asked much more of her team in Tuesday’s season-ending 52-41 GHSA Class AAAA Elite Eight loss to Marietta’s Kell High School.
The Lady Catamounts came within one score in the second half on half a dozen occasions but ultimately could not overcome the athleticism, physicality, and size of the Lady Longhorns, who had seven girls ranging from 5-foot-8 to 6 feet tall.
Harris made for a lasting image as she gave injured sophomore all-region guard Emery Silvers a piggyback ride to the locker room after the game. Silvers trimmed Dalton’s deficit to 30-29 with three minutes left in the third quarter off a flashy stop-and-go on the right baseline. The athletic playmaker had to be carried off the court with 1:29 left in the game after taking a hard spill at midcourt.
“They mean a lot to me,” said Harris, who raced out to the center of the court for Silvers immediately after going down. “I love these girls. They are like family. To see one hurt is always a difficult thing. I feel like we ask a lot of them as coaches. We ask them to play with our whole hearts and to give everything they have. It is only right and justified that we do the same for them in return. We are family.”
Dalton vs. Kell girls’ basketball on March 2, 2026
In other Northwest Georgia girls’ Elite Eight games Tuesday, Heritage used a strong third quarter to advance to the Class AAA Final Four with a 47-41 win over visiting Oconee County. In Class AA, No. 2-seed Murray County defeated Thomson, 61-55, but Region 7 rival Coahulla Creek’s Cinderalla run ended with a 57-44 loss at defending state champion Hardaway, while in the private-school bracket, Christian Heritage fell at No. 4 St. Francis, 73-53.
Dalton finished 26-4 overall for the second straight season as 4-star junior point guard recruit Aubriyana Camp led an electric attack featuring four juniors and a sophomore. Tuesday’s season-ending defeat brought an end to the Lady Catamounts’ 20-game winning streak and perfect 13-0 mark at home. It was their first loss since falling to Woodward Academy on December 20.
(READ MORE: Dalton’s Camp, Harris headline list of NW Georgia girls’ all-region basketball teams)
Camp starred in the second half on both ends of the court. The 5-foot-6 floor general had a game-high five steals, which included a leaping theft on an inbounds throw that she took the other way for a nice finish.
Camp showcased why she is one of the top players in the Class of 2027 as she created separation on the left wing in front of her team’s bench to knock down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 37-34 less than thirty seconds into the fourth quarter. She would go on to score a game-high 18 points (3-of-8 on 3-pointers) while also adding six rebounds and three assists.
“The sky is the limit for her,” said Harris of Camp, who is rated the No. 54 overall player and No. 9 point guard in the nation for her junior class. “She is an incredible player. She is selfless. She works extremely hard and can score from all three levels. She plays strong defense and is a great passer. In my book, she is the best guard in our state. She can do anything she sets her mind to.”
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Dalton junior post Georgia Sanders finished with a team-high nine rebounds while adding a pair of blocks and scoring six points. Junior Dana Gravitt also added seven points and blocked a shot in the defeat.
Kell (24-5) finished the victory with seven blocked shots and 12 steals.
“Credit to Kell,” Harris said. “They made things hard for us around the rim, which we weren’t really quite used to. It’s hard to finish sometimes when you are battling the physicality and the length at the same time.
“Our girls battled. We are extremely blessed to have our entire starting five back next year. I challenge them often to not waste an opportunity. We will grow from this and plan on having an even better and more electric season next year.”
Class AAA
› Heritage 47, Oconee County 41: In Ringgold, the Lady Generals used a dominant third quarter to advance to the Final Four over the 26-4 10th seeds.
Heritage (26-4), the bracket’s No. 2 seed, trailed 31-26 two minutes into the second half when Tori Epps started a 15-0 run with an offensive rebound and putback. Ema Tanner then scored on a layup and, after three empty possessions by both defensive-minded teams, added a free throw to tie the game at 31.
After an Epps free throw gave Heritage the lead, Paisley Collins scored off a pass from Epps and Sunshine Davenport ended the quarter with a layup from Collins for a 36-31 lead.
Tanner opened the final period with back-to-back layups off pinpoint passes from Collins, then added a free throw moments later to make it a 10-point game. Oconee star Ella David hit consecutive jumpers and later drilled a pair of 3-pointers to cap her game-high 22-point effort, but the visitors never got closer than four.
Epps led a trio of Heritage players in double figures with 14 points, followed by Tanner with 13 and Collins with 10. Collins led the winners with 14 rebounds and added two steals, with Tanner adding six rebounds and Epps six rebounds and three steals.
Heritage will play former region rival Pickens Saturday at 5 at Legacy Arena in Douglasville. Pickens, the No. 6 seed, defeated No. 3 Jenkins 60-42 Tuesday.
Class AA
› Murray County 61, Thomson 55: The second-seeded Lady Indians (25-4) moved on as the dynamic duo of Callan and Blaklee Ledford had another big game Tuesday in Chatsworth.
Callan Ledford led the way with 26 points, with Blaklee Ledford adding 19 points, four assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Murray county will face Columbia, the No. 3 seed Friday at 5 at Legacy Arena in Douglasville. Columbia rolled over No. 11 Tattnall County, 51-29, Tuesday.
› Hardaway 57, Coahulla Creek 44: The Lady Colts, who began the playoffs as the bracket’s No 20 seed, ended their season at 17-13 in Columbus.
Senior point guard Annie Reed led Coahulla Creek with 12 points, eight rebounds and six steals, with Presley Denton and Azlynn O’Neal adding nine points each and Kayden Stuckey and Greenlee Lumpkin chipping in with six points apiece.
Private
› St. Francis 73, Christian Heritage 53: The fifth-seeded Lady Lions ended their season at 20-8 at No. 4 seeded St. Francis (26-4) despite 25 points from Brinley O’Ferrell, nine from Annaka Hembree and seven from Olivia Perry.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.