Make it three straight for the McEachern girls.
The Indians weren’t as overpowering as they have been throughout the playoffs, but were still good enough to handle Tucker 71-51 to win the Class AAAAAA championship Saturday at the Macon Coliseum.
McEachern becomes the first school to win three straight championships in the state’s highest division since Collins Hill did it from 2005-07. The Indians have won state championships in four of the last five years.
“It feels really good. It’s a blessing,” said McEachern senior Jada Lewis. “I’m just happy that we won again. We deserve. We really had to work for this one. It wasn’t given to us. We just worked and we deserve our ring.”
The Indians (25-7) finished the season by winning their final 19 games. They were led by sophomore Chanel Wilson with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. Que Morrison added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Lewis scored 12. Jasmine Clements had a game-high 13 rebounds.
“Unselfish. Very unselfish,” Lewis said. “We want each other to be successful.”
Tucker (27-5) got 15 points apiece from Najla Shamsid-Dean and Jayla Morrow. Shamsid-Dean added 10 rebounds and Kierra Johnson-Graham had 12 rebounds and three blocked shows
Neither team had much luck in the first quarter, which McEachern led 15-9. McEachern shot only 22.7 percent, but Tucker shot only 17.6 percent from the floor.
It got a little better in the second quarter and by halftime Tucker was shooting 28.6 percent, but still trailed McEachern 29-24 at halftime.
McEachern used a 7-0 start in the third period stretch the lead to 12 points and Tucker played uphill the rest of the night. The Indians took a 51-37 lead going into the final quarter.
It was the second trip to the championship game in three years for Tucker. The Tigers won the Class AAAAA title in 2014.
Tucker (51): Jayla Morrow 15, Najla Shamsid-Deen 15, Bria Bass 6, Kiera Johnson-Graham 3, Mariya Trimble 2, Kierra Guthrie, Sierra Wright, Morgan Collins 5, Chiqueria Cook 2, Quinian Hughes , Jermese Davis.
McEachern (71): Jada Lewis 12, Que Morrison, Chanel Wilson 17, Tierra Lindsey 9, Jasmine Clements 9, Lyndsey Whilby 6, Symone Oliver 2, Elizabeth Allen 4, Victoria Aryin, Cierra Brown 2, Alexis Burke, Alyssa Smith.
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