KENNESAW — A breakthrough season for the Effingham County girls basketball team came to an end Saturday night as the Rebels lost to defending state champion Miller Grove 49-23 in the Class AAAAA semifinals at Kennesaw State University.
The Wolverines (26-5), who won their first state title in Class AAAA last year, will face Southwest DeKalb Friday in Macon in the championship game.
The game figured to be a battle between the speed of Effingham County and the size of Miller Grove, but the Wolverines were very quick for their size and their defense was stifling.
Miller Grove pressed from the opening tip off, pestering Effingham’s guards in the backcourt. The Rebels turned the ball over 17 times in the first half.
Klarissa Weaver, a 6-foot-1 senior center headed to the University of North Carolina-Asheville on a scholarship, established herself down low early, scoring nine of the Wolverines first 11 points as Miller Grove opened on an 11-2 run.
Weaver scored a game-high 15 points, and Tashi Thompson added 12 for Miller Grove.
Effingham (26-5) didn’t make its first field goal until the 15th minute, when Ebony Hicklen converted.
“They were defending state champs and only graduated one player, so we knew our work was cut out for us,” Effingham coach Curtis Stevens said. “We thought their length would be an issue and it was. And their press made it difficult to get into our sets. They limited us to jump shots, and we didn’t shoot well.”
Miller Grove led 25-10 at the half. Effingham showed a bit of fight coming out after intermission, but the Wolverines maintained their advantage by outscoring the Rebels 13-9 in the third quarter.
The loss ended a 14-game winning streak for the Rebels, who were co-champions in Region 3-AAAAA regular-season play before winning the region tournament.
“It was frustrating because we’ve done well against the press in the past,” Stevens said. “We hoped to weather the storm and go on a run of our own, but we didn’t make our shots or our free throws.”
The Rebels (26-6) were 12 of 25 from the free-throw line. Jakayvea Akins led the Rebels with seven points and Ebony Hicklen added five.
“It was very hard,” said Hicklen, a standout sophomore. “We just started to rush. We should have been more patient. But I will think more about our season than this game. We had a great year and made it to the Final Four.”
It was the farthest the Rebels have advanced since reaching the Class A finals in 1968, according to the Georgia High School Basketball Project (GHSBP.com)
Stevens, 31, in just his second year coaching the Rebels, said he was extremely happy with his team’s season.
And the future looks bright, with a solid core of experienced, talented players returning, including Hicklen, Akins, Aliyah Williams, Brooke Fowler and Kyesha Lewis.
Among the seniors who played their last game were captains Aby Youmans and Maddie Evans, along with Shatrell Crawford and Teanna Scott.
“In no way am I sad or sour,” Stevens said. “I’m extremely proud of these young ladies’ accomplishments. I thanked them for allowing us to come along on this journey.
“We’re not putting our heads down. It was just one of those nights. We’re not going to dwell on the negative, but reflect on the positive. These girls are going to want to get back next year.”
MILLER GROVE (26-5)
Durden 3, Brown 7, Toshi Thompson 12, Katie Hunt 6, Klarissa Weaver 15, Blissett 2, Udofia 2, Richardson 2.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY (23)
Evans 3, Hicklen 5, Akins 7, Williams 2, Lewis 3, Youmans 1, Crawford 2.
Halftime-Miller Grove 25-10. Records-Miller Grove 25-6; Effingham County 26-6.