Senior Te’a Cooper made a running scoop shot as the buzzer sounded to send McEachern to the Class AAAAAA girls final with a 59-57 win over Archer.
The Tigers (26-6) led by 10 with 5:35 left in the game, but McEachern charged back with tenacious defense and a solid inside game. After trailing 52-42, the Indians (24-6) went on a 10-0 run that notched the game at 52. When they took a 56-55 lead a few possessions later, it was McEachern's first lead since it was 7-6 early in the first quarter.
Following the Indians' charge back into the game, a wild finish ensued. Over the final 4 minutes, the teams had three ties, three lead changes and several skirmishes for the ball on the floor.
Cooper's game-winning shot came after Archer missed some shots from close to the basket, and senior Madison Newby missed both free throws. A jump ball gave possession back to McEachern with 9 seconds left, and Cooper drove for the winner. She scored 11 of her team-high 15 in the second half. Newby had a game-high 18 for Archer.
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