MACON -- Buford’s Kaela Davis and Andraya Carter drew much of the defensive focus from Greater Atlanta Christian in the Class AA girls state championship Saturday afternoon.
Mackenzie Darrah made them pay, scoring 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting in Buford’s 57-38 win over Greater Atlanta Christian in the Class AA girls state championship game at the Macon Centreplex.
It seemed that every point killed GAC momentum.
“It just happened that way,” Darrah said. “I just went in confident, knowing that I could make the shots.”
Buford (29-3) won its third consecutive state championship, defeating their rival from Gwinnett County for the third time in four meetings between the two schools -- largely because players in secondary roles played well in the spotlight.
“We learned that lesson earlier in the year against Wesleyan,” Buford coach Gene Durden said. “We’ve been working on it, and let me tell you what, we had some other kids that stepped up and did a great job. Mackenzie and Sharesse [Williams, 10 points] did a super job.”
Darrah’s 3-pointer in the first quarter erased GAC’s only lead and knotted the score at five. Another 3-pointer in the second quarter stopped a brief Lady Spartans run, and she scored back-to-back baskets midway through the third to push a four-point lead to eight.
Davis, who scored 15 points, had to leave the game when officials observed blood on her jersey. She went to the locker room and changed from her customary No. 3 to No. 32 to finish the half. She scored one basket wearing 32, then changed back to No. 3 during intermission.
“When you play GAC all year and you beat them when it counts, I think it’s a sense of pride that you have,” Davis said.
GAC (25-8) went the final four minutes of the third quarter without scoring, and Buford scored the final nine points of the quarter, expanding a 29-25 lead to 38-25.
Kristina Nelson scored 12 points and Briana Cummings 11 for GAC, which made only one field goal in the second quarter.
About the Author
