The Gilmer High Lady Cats are set for a return to the Class 3A state basketball tournament.
The Cats locked up their state spot before a Region 7-3A tournament game was played as they entered the event as a No. 2 seed with a bye to the semifinals.
GHS was up against Heritage Friday, and the Generals defeated Gilmer for the second time this season, 44-27.
In the other semifinal, No. 1 Calhoun was upset by No. 4 Northwest Whitfield, which pitted GHS against the former in the consolation finals. Calhoun was able to build a lead in the third, and the Cats could not close the gap and fell, 48-37.
Region 7-3A will be well represented in the state tournament. In addition to the top-four qualifying teams, LaFayette and Adairsville locked up at-large bids, with Ridgeland as the only team to not earn a state berth.
The Cats are seeded 19th in the 32-team state tournament and faced the Stephenson Jaguars at press deadline. SHS is 15-11 overall and Region 5-3A runners-up.
Head coach David Dowse discussed Stephenson and the contrast in styles.
“They’re very athletic and long. They run a very different style than us. While we want a more controlled style of play, they want chaos,” he said. “They press a lot and shoot a lot of runners and floaters. Where we want to get our feet set and get high percentage shots, they want quantity. They want a lot of possessions and are going to try to speed you up.
“They’ll present a problem for us because they’re unlike anybody we’ve played. And I think we’re unlike anything they’ve seen. If we can make them play more to our liking, I think we have a really good chance. If we play the way they want to play, it could be tough.”
GHS enters the state tournament with a 15-11 seasonal record.
Region tourney losses
GHS shot just 28 percent from the field versus Heritage and made only two three pointers. HHS went inside for 20 points and cashed in 19 more when the Cats turned the ball over.
“It was almost a mirror of the second time we played them (in the regular season),” Dowse said. “They were more physical than us and executed better than us. We had a hard time scoring, and Heritage had a lot to do with that with their physicality.
“They’re the best team in our region, and I don’t think it’s that close. Calhoun is probably the most talented, but Heritage is the better team. We had a plan but just didn’t execute it.”
Gilmer’s best quarter came in the fourth when it scored 11 points. Until that point, GHS did not score more that six points in a quarter.
HHS led 25-10 at the half and 37-16 with eight minutes to play.
Bree Burnette finished with nine points, Aliza Chastain scored eight, both Chelsey Griggs and Jaylee McDaniel had four and Jace Sanderson added two.
Burnette was also the top rebounder with five, and both Griggs and Madison Bradshaw grabbed four.
The matchup with Calhoun the following day was closer, but the Yellow Jackets took over when Burnette went to the bench at the midpoint of the third quarter.
“We battled pretty hard, and I thought we played better Saturday than Friday. Bree got her bell rung pretty good out there, and at that point, it was a two-point game. They went on a run after that and closed it out,” Dowse said.
The Jackets were down 10-9 after a quarter but pulled ahead at the half, 25-22. CHS opened a 41-30 edge entering the fourth where points were traded evenly.
GHS had a rough shooting night once again at 31 percent, but the Cats did find some success from outside where they hit eight three pointers.
Gilmer scoring: Sanderson (12), Chastain (10), Griggs (seven), Burnette (five) and Madison Hall (three). Griggs snatched 10 rebounds, Sanderson had five and Chastain dished three assists.