DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia High School Basketball
State tournament: Marietta girls march on
Thursday, March 12, 2009
After a 58-year absence, the Marietta Blue Devils are returning to the girls state high school basketball championship game.
Behind 30 points from Telia McCall and another dominant defensive performance, the Blue Devils beat Beach 58-40 Thursday night at Gwinnett Arena to advance to today’s Class AAAAA final against Redan.
Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com
Marietta’s Courtney Sprague (35, left) Telia McCall (30, center) and Sabrina McCants (right) are all smiles after their 58-40 win over Beach in their Class AAAAA girls semi-final game.
“We’re excited, but not overly excited, because we understand we have another game,” Marietta coach Ken Sprague said. “Our goal is to win state, not to get to the championship game.”
Beach (28-5) came in averaging 59 points a game in the tournament, but Marietta shut down the Lady Bulldogs. Guards Brittney Echols and Brittany White pressured the ball, and 6-foot-2 McCall controlled inside. Monique Willis led Beach with 14 points.
“Defensively we played a great game,” Sprague said.
Marietta’s pressure got to Beach quickly. The Blue Devils (29-4) took a 29-14 lead at halftime. By that time, McCall, who will play at Virginia, had 15 points.
“We were trying to find the mismatch, and generally most of the mismatches are with Telia,” Sprague said.
Beach never threatened in the second half, getting no closer than 44-35 midway through the fourth quarter. McCall scored two baskets and a free throw in the next two minutes to lead Marietta to its first title game since 1951, the school’s only championship.
“It feels nice, but our goal is to win it,” Sprague said.
