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Thomasville’s Lady Bulldogs had to reach deep inside their souls Friday night in the finals of the Yadkin Valley Conference championships against the Chatham Central Bears. But when the Lady Dogs looked into the abyss they found their character and managed to will their way to a dramatic 83-79 overtime victory.
“Even when we got down double figures we kept battling,” Thomasville coach Lacardo Means said. “I told them we’ve won 13 in a row, we can win six more.”
Secily Ray’s two free throws with 51 seconds to go in overtime put Thomasville in front for the final time in a game that was played at a very high level. Chatham Central led most of the way and had a three-point lead with a minute left in regulation, but Ray sank a crucial 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining that tied the score. Talia McMaster, who had to be carried off the court with cramps once the final whistle blew, knocked down a 14-foot jumper for a 73-71 THS lead, but a pair of Becca Bolton free throws sent the game to overtime.
“It’s our senior year and we all have the same main goal,” McMaster said. “This is the first step towards a state championship. It’s too late in the season to start losing now. I just want to win a state championship.”
In the extra session, Ray drew first blood, converting a three-point play, but the Lady Bears didn’t go away. Lauren Moore and Bolton came back with consecutive buckets as CC evened things back up at 77. In the final 51 seconds, Ray and Christina Carter each made three of four at the charity stripe to win the YVC tournament.
“We had to play with a lot of heart,” said Ray. “I was telling myself I had to win this for my team. This is my last year and I wanted to come out big. We know we wanted this win.”
The two teams finished with identical 11-1 league marks and they split the two regular season matchups, making Friday night a true title game. Playing on the big stage brought out the best in both teams. No player showed more heart than THS’ Tia Davis. The Lady Bulldogs’ senior twisted her ankle late in the third quarter and appeared done for the night. Davis, however, willed her way back on the court and made an immediate impact with a hoop and the harm, giving Thomasville a 52-51 lead with 20 seconds left in the third.
“When I got hurt I knew I had to come back for my team,” Davis said. “I had to play through all the pain because this meant a lot to me. I thank my team for this.”
Both teams started out the contest exchanging runs. Chatham Central ran off eight straight points in the first quarter after falling behind 11-4. The Lady Bulldogs came back to lead 18-13, but the Lady Bears scored 16 of the final 24 points before halftime to lead 35-29 at the intermission. CC’s Sierra Courie absolutely torched the THS defense in the opening half, scoring 14 points on a variety of layups. In the second half, the Lady Bulldogs did a much better job defending the post, limiting Courie to only four points before she fouled out.
“We started playing defense,” Means said. “They were digging down the court and scoring. We made a little adjustment, but they didn’t quit. I told they have to help each other.”
Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 233, or at eliotduke@hotmail.com