FLOWERY BRANCH Sometimes the stats just flat out lie.
Troup County did not hit a single 3-pointer (0-for-5), was just 3-of-13 from the free throw line and turned the ball over six times in the final four minutes in its Class 4A quarterfinal showdown with Flowery Branch on Wednesday.
Typically, that s a recipe for disaster.
Yet, the Lady Tigers overcame all of that and used a swarming full court press to wear down the Lady Falcons for a 49-42 victory and move on to the semifinal round.
“It was a tough game defensively, but we knew it would be coming in,” Flowery Branch coach Courtney Newton-Gonzalez said. “I thought we were really good defensively, especially in the first half. I have no complaints there.
ATLANTA The Flowery Branch girls are quickly becoming THAT team.
You know, the one that struggled through adversity all season only to finally find its talented groove at the right time. The one no one suddenly wants to play.
The Lady Falcons put on an impressive first-half display en route to a 45-35 win over Region 6-4A champion Marist on Friday on the road in the second round of the Class 4A state tournament.
After a 6-12 start to the season due to a variety of reasons (mainly COVID issues), they have now won 8 of the last 10 overall.
“We had two really tough stretches with COVID so to see them have success right now almost makes me tear up,” Flowery Branch coach Courtney Newton-Gonzalez said. “Our kids have really just locked into what we’re trying to do right now. We had about seven different defensive game plans coming in.