STATESBORO – The Lady Gators varsity basketball team have had an amazing season so far and don’t plan on stopping now. They’ve been practicing hard and hope to have a “puncher’s chance” in their final four matchup.
The Lady Gators will be in action on Thursday night as they travel to Georgia State College to take on reigning Class 4A GIAA State Champs, George Walton Academy in a Final Four matchup. If the Lady Gators win, they will possibly take on the winner of First Presbyterian Day out of Macon, GA versus St. Anne-Pacelli out of Columbus, GA.
From the beginning of the season to now, the Lady Gators have performed well. They are a young team, but have really developed into a strong group.
One key characteristic for the Lady Gators since the region championship game where they defeated Westminster Schools of Augusta 72-60 was their defense.
“Against this team [George Walton Academy] we’re going to have to be really aggressive,” head coach Chandler Dennard said. “They’re the defending state champions, they didn’t graduate anybody, they’re a year older, a year more physical, they’re a senior-laden team.”
This matchup is going to be a really physical contest, but these Lady Gators are used to playing some of those types of games. According to coach Dennard, taking on teams like Statesboro, and being able to hold their own has better prepared them for these types of moments.
Three Key Strategies the Lady Gators have been working on:
- Continue to play defense
- Protect the basketball
- Shoot the ball well
Going off of shooting the ball well, another strategy that the Lady Gators are preparing for is the instance that George Walton Academy decides to face-guard senior guard, Ashantay Noble. When a team face-guards a specific player they have determined that they expose the most existential threat to their success.
Senior Ashantay Noble has played with the Lady Gators for five years. She has been a top player for the Lady Gators for a good period of time. Noble hit her 1,000 career points her junior year at Bulloch Academy, and just last week made her 1,000th career rebound. With teams being able to watch film on the Lady Gators, most recognize she’s a threat which means that other Lady Gators have to continue to step up and make big plays in games.
“People have tried to take Ashantay out of the game the entire year, so that’s really been the difference,” said coach Dennard. “Every night for us there’s been somebody different that has stepped up for our team and made it where the other team couldn’t focus in on Ashantay. That happened for us against Westfield and the region championship game.”
Noble is not new to teams singling her out, and knows exactly what to do when that happens.
“I screen and screen away to make sure my teammates get open,” Noble said. “I make an extra pass so my teammates can score and I drive in the post to draw two defenders towards me and kick the ball out to my open teammate.”
The last time the Lady Gators won a state championship was about nine years ago and senior Ashantay Noble made it clear how she feels about being in the final four and having the opportunity to take a stab at a state title.
“I’m a senior and I want a ring,” Noble said. “I’m not leaving without a ring and I want to go out with a bang.”
That sentiment rings true with the whole Lady Gator team as well and they're ready to take on the challenge.
