Story By Heath Hambrick
The Lady Rams are back-to-back 3A Area 13 champions. Sylvania defeated the Fyffe Lady Red Devils 51-38 Monday night. This is the first time in school history that the Sylvania Lady Rams have won back-to-back area tournament titles, and it is just the fifth time in school history.
“Winning back-to-back Area Championships is special, but what makes it meaningful is the character of these girls. They've worked hard, stayed connected, and bought into something bigger than themselves. This championship is a reflection of their commitment to each other and to the standard we've set as a program,” said Sylvania Head Coach Alaina Welden.
Sylvania led at the end of each quarter (14-11, 26-19, 35-30, 51-38).
The Lady Rams found themselves down 4-0 early in the first quarter, but they went on a 9-0 run to take the lead and never looked back. Sylvania took a seven-point lead to the halftime break.
Sarah Graham, Gracie Black, and Natalie Atchley led the way in the first quarter with the scoring. In the second quarter, Aubrey Morgan, Mara Anderson, and Brinlee Holcomb all joined in on the scoring for the Lady Rams.
For Fyffe, Sam Galloway led the way for the Red Devils in the first half. Fyffe would stay within striking distance but was unable to regain the lead in the first half.
Fyffe outscored the Lady Rams in the third quarter 11-9 to cut the lead to just five, 35-30, as the teams headed to the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, Sylvania pulled away, outscoring Fyffe 16-8 to take a 13-point victory.
Natalie Atchley finished the game with a double-double, 18 points and 11 rebounds, along with three blocked shots. Aubrey Morgan finished with 10 points. Sam Galloway was the only Red Devil in double figures with 17 points.
Sylvania improves to 16-10 as Fyffe falls to 12-13 on the season.
The Lady Rams will host the Northeast sub-regional on Friday night and play the loser of the 3A Area 9 championship game between Weaver and Saks. Fyffe will travel to play the winner of the Weaver and Saks game on Friday night.
The All-Tournament Team
Sylvania: Aubrey Morgan (MVP), Sarah Graham, Gracie Black, and Natalie Atchley. Fyffe: Sam Galloway and Ellie Stone. Geradine: Alice Jordan.
The 3A Area 13 Tournament semifinals were held on Friday, February 6th.
The Sylvania Lady Rams started the postseason off on the right foot with a 61-43 victory over the Collinsville Lady Panthers.
Sylvania led at the end of all three quarters (16-7, 37-16, 51-36, 61-43).
The Lady Rams raced out to a 13-2 lead, with scoring of Aubrey Morgan, Sarah Graham, and Gracie Black. Sylvania used its defensive pressure to force turnovers and spark the offense.
In the second quarter, Sylvania continued to dominate on both ends of the floor, forcing turnovers and crashing the boards for rebounds. The Lady Rams built a 25-point lead by halftime.
In the final two quarters, Sylvania continued its outstanding work on defense and further extended its lead, securing a 28-point win to advance to the area championship game.
Gracie Black led Sylvania with 14 points, Aubrey Morgan scored 13 points, and Sarah Graham scored 11 points.
Gabriella Whitmore led Collinsville with 13 points.
Sylvania improves to 15-10 on the season. Sylvania will play Fyffe on Monday at 6 p.m. Collinsville’s season comes to an end, and the Lady Panthers finish the season with an 11-10 record.
Fyffe 61, Geraldine 41
The Lady Bulldogs led at the end of the first quarter, 10-9. Fyffe led after the final three quarters (25-14, 43-41, 63-41).
Sam Galloway and Ellie Stone guided the Lady Red Devils to the victory with their scoring and defensive play.
In the second quarter, Galloway took over, scoring all but two points for Fyffe. The Lady Red Devils took an 11-point lead to halftime.
Fyffe maintained a double-digit lead in the second half, with their largest lead being 22 points by the end of the contest.
Galloway led the Lady Red Devils with 26 points, and Ellie Stone scored 21 points.
Fyffe improved to 12-12 on the season and advances to the championship games on Monday against Sylvania. Geraldine finishes the season with a 7-23 record.
