Terrell Academy headed to state finals

AMERICUS — Last week Terrell Academy Coach Keith Jones said he and the Lady Eagles would like another shot at arch rival Westwood. They will get their chance Saturday in the state championship game scheduled for Saturday at Georgia Southwestern University in Americus.

The Lady Eagles (12-9) beat Windsor Academy of Macon 33-23 in the state semifinals Thursday afternoon at Georgia Southwestern in a battle that saw both teams struggle to score.

Both teams played a tight zone defense that kept shooters outside most of the game. Terrell Academy’s Lindsay Torbert, Sarah Lane Lynch, and Emma Jackson kept the paint occupied and made it tough for Windsor’s inside players to score or pull down rebounds. Neither team had a hot shooting day from outside and that’s why the score was only 13-11 at the half of the game.

“We had trouble putting that orange round thing in the other orange round thing,” said Terrell Academy Head Coach Keith Jones. “I don’t know what our shooting percentage was, but I think theirs was just as bad. Fortunately toward the end of the third Jenna (Cuff) hit a shot and Kate (Douglas) hit a couple of threes, so we were able to win.”

Terrell Academy’s Kate Douglas hit the first three of the game in the first quarter, but Douglas and teammate Sierra Brogdon had trouble hitting the big threes. Terrell Academy point guard Jenna Cuff tried to get inside and had success a couple of time and even tried some threes herself.

“I’m not sure why we had such trouble hitting the basket,” he said. “It was a different backdrop playing in a college gymnasium, but fortunately we came out on top.”

The Lady Eagles had a slight lead almost the entire game, but late in the game Cuff raced around her defender and laid up two points to push the lead to nine points and Coach Keith Jones started ball control. That put Windsor having to foul to get the ball back. Cuff, Douglas, Brogdon all ended up on the free throw line and all hit one of two free throws to keep Windsor at bay.

Kate Douglas led the Lady Eagles with 13 points and Cuff followed with eight.