Lady Eagles soar back to title game (UPDATES: includes DWS-Tattnall state title game breakdown)

MILLEDGEVILLE — Cornbread, Tatter and Rook — what a threesome.

By the time these three girls are finished at Terrell Academy, they might have the ultimate trifecta and their names written in Lady Eagles lore.

Juniors Millie Foster and Marlee Locke and sophomore Alex Barfield are going for their second consecutive GISA Class A state title at noon today against Fullington Academy, and all three will be back next year. In fact, the three friends have actually talked about possibly winning three.

In the meantime, No. 2 is in their hands today, because — frankly — Friday’s 37-34 semifinal victory against David Emanuel Academy at Georgia College and State University was in their hands.

There they were, Terrell’s three-headed monster — putting this game away early and late.

It was Locke (they call her Cornbread) who found the basket when no one knew where it was early in the game. The two teams combined to make only 13 of 50 first-half shots and TAE went to halftime leading, 17-14. That is, thanks to Locke who scored 10 of them, including all five of Terrell’s first -quarter points.

“Nobody was scoring so I just started driving to the basket,” said Locke, who finished with a team-high 11 points, but was even a bigger factor running the offense and helping TAE force 28 turnovers.

And thank goodness for that, said TAE coach Keith Jones.

“We live and die by the turnovers,” said Jones, who knew his team would be overmatched inside by a much taller DEA team, which had already beaten the Lady Eagles twice during the regular season.

Neither team shot the ball well, but TAE had problems all day with

Jasmine Phillips, who scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Emanuel.

TAE’s Carley Law also had a big game, grabbing six rebounds, making five steals and scoring eight points before fouling out with 2:37 left.

In the end, the Terrell Triplets were there down the stretch. Foster (just call her Rook) scored six of her eight points in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 1:46, and Barfield (she’s Tatter) sealed it with a free throw with 8.2 seconds left to seal the win.

But it was Barfield’s long 3-pointer that had Terrell Academy buzzing. Emanuel had closed to 28-27 with 2:30 left and was driving for the lead when Foster blocked a shot and sent the ball the other way. Barfield, who hit two 3s, busted her longest shot of the season, and then pumped her fist with the 31-27 lead.

“I don’t even know where I was on the court,” Barfield said. “My adrenaline was pumping, and my fist was pumping.”

The win now sets up a rematch of last year’s state final with Fullington, which TAE (19-7) has beaten twice already this season. The two teams are also in the same region.

“(David Emanuel) beat us twice, and we beat (Fullington) twice,” Jones said. “It doesn’t matter at this point.”

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WHO: Region 3, No. 3 Fullington Academy (23-6) vs. Region 3, No. 1 Terrell Academy (19-7).

WHAT: GISA Class A Championship game.

WHEN: Noon today.

WHERE: Georgia College & State in Milledgeville.