Tucker seized control with a 12-2 run to open the game and was never challenged in an 83-65 victory over defending champion and region rival Southwest DeKalb in the Class AAAAA girls basketball championship game Friday at the Macon Coliseum.
The state title is the first in school history for Tucker but the eighth in nine seasons in the second-highest classification for schools in DeKalb County. Southwest DeKalb (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013), Miller Grove (2012) and private school St. Pius (2006 and 2007) won the other seven.
Center Erykah Davenport helped second-ranked Tucker (29-4) get off to the hot start. The Miami signee had three points, an assist and six rebounds in the first four minutes as the Tigers scored the first eight points of the game. Davenport finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and four assists.
But it was guards Nuba Jackson and Tori Robinson who helped Tucker take control.
Robinson came in averaging 7.1 points per game, but she had 13 in the first 13 minutes, including a 3-pointer and two free throws in the first minute of the second quarter that gave Tucker a 21-10 lead. She scored just eight more points after suffering a slight injury going for a loose ball with 1:06 to play in the first half, but at that point the Tigers had a 36-23 lead and matters well in hand,
“She gets overlooked a lot because of Erykah and the twins [Nuba and Naima Jackson],” Tucker coach Robin Potter said. “Ever since she was a freshman, she’s been the point guard and she runs it. You see when she’s not in, it’s just not the same. … She was huge.”
Tucker’s lead never dropped below 10 points in the second half.
Nuba Jackson led the Tigers with 26 points and was 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. Her 3-pointer 33 seconds into the game gave Tucker a lead it would not relinquish.
Naima Jackson was 9-for-10 on free throws and finished with 11 points.
Tynice Martin led Southwest DeKalb (30-3) with 16 points. Davion Wingate scored 15, and Casey Kelly added 12 off the bench.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Potter said. “I’m a pretty calm person, but after this sinks in I’ll be very excited. We’re 30-0 in region play over the last two years, so we’ve got the talent. We just had to put it together and get the pieces working. They worked well tonight.”
Tucker (83): Nuba Jackson 26, Naima Jackson 11, Tori Robinson 21, Erykah Davenport 11, Mariya Trimble 6, Jemila Moore 2, Sierra Wright, Laura Charles, Quinlan Hughes 6.
Southwest DeKalb (65): Davion Wingate 15, Jada Walton 5, Darsan DeShaizer 8, Tynice Martin 16, Tangela Williams, Casey Kelly 12, Kiiana Mitchell, Lydia Gibbs, Diamond Porter, Daisa Alexander 6, Cori Bostic 3.
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