Lady Trojans fall to Baldwin
BY NICK CORN
Senior Megan Gray hit a three at the beginning of the first and second quarters for the Lady Trojans. Girards’ season would end, however, with a 61-44 loss from Baldwin. PHOTO BY AMY GRAY
Calea Augustin (L) and Ashley Ray (R) led Girard with 10 points apiece on Thursday night. PHOTO BY AMY GRAY
It was a tale of two halves for the Lady Trojans in Thursday night’s first-round contest with two-seed Baldwin. In the first half, Girard played about as well as they could have hoped. They were handling the Lady Bulldog’s press and putting up consistent points while holding Baldwin on defense. The second half, primarily the third quarter, saw Girard take a turn for the worst. Turnovers started piling up and Baldwin took advantage, putting up points at will. Still, it was a great effort for the Lady Trojans, and their young team will surely be in the mix for years to come.
In the first quarter, the Lady Trojans came out and stunned Baldwin by running out to a 7-0 lead after a three from Megan Gray, followed by two-point baskets from Calea Augustin and Ashley Ray. After a pair of Lady Bulldog free throws, Sydnee Crain hit two straight baskets to give Girard an 11-2 lead with 4:35 remaining. The Lady Bulldogs remained calm, pulling off a 10-2 run of their own. Two free throws from Olivia Hanson gave the Lady Trojans a 15-12 lead after the first.
An emotional Megan Gray as she leaves the game for the last time. Met by her teammates Jacey Murphy, Sydnee Crain and fellow Senior Macahla Leslie. PHOTO BY AMY GRAY
Gray started the second the same way she started the first, nailing a huge three. After the Lady Bulldogs tied the game with a 6-0 run, Crain came down and nailed a trey, giving Girard a 21-18 lead. The two and seven seeds traded blows for the next four minutes, with Baldwin up 31-30 heading into the half.
Unfortunately the wheels were about to fall off for the Lady Trojans. Hanson gave Girard a 32-31 lead with 7:44 left in the third, but it would be the last lead they would hold. Baldwin’s press started to give Girard fits, and a 15-0 Lady Bulldog run quickly racked up. When Augustin was able to get Girard back on the board with a minute left in the third quarter, the Lady Bulldogs had amassed a 46-34 lead. To make matters worse, Baldwin nailed a three before the buzzer, taking a 49-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Trojans sideline once the game had been decided. Next season Girard will have to replace graduating seniors Morgan Herlocker (L), Megan Gray (3rd from right) and Macahla Leslie (not pictured). It was a great season for the Lady Trojans, as they were sub-state champions and made the state tournament. PHOTO BY AMY GRAY
After falling behind by 18 points early on, Girard would fight back to come within 11 points of Baldwin, but the lead was too large to overcome. Despite Augustin’s six fourth-quarter points, the Lady Trojans fell by a score of 61-44. Ray and Augustin scored 10 points apiece to lead Girard.
Although Girard lost, this season was certainly a big step toward the future. Last year, Girard finished 7-14 on the season. This season, the Lady Trojans finished with a 14-9 record and were sub-state champions. A difficult task will be put in front of the team, as they will have to replace Megan Gray, MaCahla Leslie, and Morgan Herlocker, all of who will be graduating this spring. The core of Augustin, Hanson, Ray, Crain, and Murphy will give Coach Herlocker a good place to start.
BOX SCORE
GHS 15 15 4 10 FINAL 44
BHS 12 19 18 12 61
GIRARD: Augustin 10, Ray 10, Crain 7, Hanson 7, Gray 6, Leslie 2, Murphy 2
3-PT FG: Gray 2, Augustin 1, Crain 1
PHOTO BY AMY GRAY