Raven Johnson scored nine of her 23 points in overtime, helping Parkview hold off a gritty effort from Osborne in a 73-69 victory on Tuesday.
The Panthers advance to face the Westlake-Norcross winner in a Class AAAAAA semifinal at 3 p.m., Saturday at Georgia Tech.
The game was the definition on an overtime thriller, full of big shots, comebacks and momentum-changing technical fouls. Both teams spent time ranked No. 1 this season. It really was a matchup better suited for the championship game. In the end, though, Johnson and Parkview’s superior depth were the difference.
Osborne star Nikira Goings poured in 35 points, including six 3-pointers, and fueled a dramatic second-half rally by the Cardinals.
Down 13 at halftime, Osborne (26-3) was seemingly out of it. The Cardinals couldn’t match Parkview’s depth and were struggling against the press. Panthers coach Kirk Call took advantage of his depth, subbing in five players at a time to keep the pressure up.
Parkview’s reserves sparked an 11-0 run to open the second quarter. Junior post Kristi Derouen had a jumper and a layup, and junior guard Kiersten Hunter hit a 3-point to fuel the Panthers’ surge. Osborne didn’t score for the first 4:45 of the quarter and trailed 33-20 at the break.
But the Cardinals were far from done and began to chip away at the lead in the third quarter. They seized the momentum after energetic Parkview coach Kirk Call was called for a technical at the 4:51 mark of the third quarter.
“He even told me before the game that as long as you’re in the box you can talk to us,” Call said. “I looked down and I was in the box.”
It didn’t matter to the officials, who instructed Call to sit down. He obliged, and it seemed to take some of the energy out his team.
Osborne scored the final seven points of the third quarter and was down only seven heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was awesome. Every time Parkview seemed safe, Osborne hit a big shot to stay in the game. An offensive rebound and putback from Johnson had the Panthers up 55-52 with a minute left. Goings answered with a 3-pointer to tie the score and then forced a turnover on the defensive end. The Cardinals couldn’t get a good shot on their final possession, though, sending the game to overtime.
That’s when Johnson really took over. She followed her own missed free throw for a put-back layup and went coast-to-coast for another bucket that put Parkview up seven with 1:30 to play. She then hit five free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.
Rutgers signee Vicki Harris had 13 points, and Makenna Pouengue added 12 for Parkview.
The victory did come at a cost for the Panthers, though. Junior point guard Dominique Leonidas injured her left ankle early in overtime and had to be helped off the floor.
Call was concerned about Leonidas after the game, but also confident in his backups, who have played major roles throughout the Panthers’ run.
“It’s really a commitment from them starting in August,” Call said of his reserves. “You’re not here for personal gain. You’re here to be a part of this and make this special. And we never let them forget it.”
It’s a disappointing ending to another strong season for coach Melanie Samuel’s Cardinals, who won their third region title in the last five seasons and were ranked No. 1 in the state for the first time in school history. Junior guard Zutorya Cook and Benham each finished with 11 points for Osborne.
“We accomplished a lot,” Samuel said. “We took it as far as we could and fought hard. You can’t ask more than that.”
