Kemper, Wayne win tourney titles

By By Marty Stamper/staff writer
Feb. 10, 2002
MACON The Kemper Academy Lady Rams and the Wayne Academy Jaguars brought home championships in the Academy 3-A Tournament Saturday night at Central Academy's Arthur Varner Gym.
Kemper defeated Central 43-42 in overtime for the girls' championship, while Wayne shocked top-seeded Heidelberg Academy 48-42 in the boys' title game.
In the consolation games, the Heidelberg girls knocked off Wayne 52-40 and the Newton County Academy boys beat Sylva-Bay Academy 51-37.
All of Saturday's participants advance to the Central Region Tournament which begins Tuesday in DeKalb.
Kemper girls 43
Central 42
Blair Johnson's free throw with 34.5 seconds left in regulation snapped a 42-42 tie as the Kemper girls improved to 25-7 before a standing room only crowd.
Neither team fared well in the first quarter as Kemper led 8-7 after eight minutes.
After the teams swapped 6-0 runs, the Lady Rams used another 6-0 run late in the second quarter to go up 20-13 as they carried a 21-15 lead into halftime.
Kemper threatened to break the game open early in the second half as they opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take its biggest lead of the night at 28-15 with 6:26 to go in the third period.
Central rallied to within 31-24 to start the fourth quarter.
The Lady Vikings used a 6-0 run of their own to get to within 33-30 with 4:53 left in regulation and took their first lead since 5-2 when Penny Smith hit a pair of free throws at the 1:30 mark for a 38-37 advantage.
Kemper's Kayla Mosley tied the game at 38-38 with 1:09 left and turnovers plagued both teams over the final minute of regulation.
In overtime, Kemper got a basket by Mosley and a free throw apiece from Johnson and Eve Darnell, while Meagan Stokes scored two baskets for Central as the teams were still deadlocked with 51 seconds showing.
Johnson's free shot with 34.5 seconds provided the eventual winning margin. Central turned the ball over with 12.2 seconds left only to have Kemper return the favor with 3.2 seconds showing. Central was forced to shoot from three-quarters court as time expired.
Kemper got 10 points from Johnson, nine from Jessica Harpole, seven from Mosley, and five apiece from Darnell, Megan Whitaker, and Libby Myers. Johnson and Whitaker both had 14 rebounds, with Darnell, Mosley, and Harpole each getting three steals.
Central got 12 points from Stokes, 10 each from Carrie Coker and Leslie Hancock, and eight from Smith. Stokes and Smith both had 10 rebounds. Stokes also had six steals. Hancock had four assists.
Wayne boys 48
Heidelberg 42
Wayne trailed 8-7 after one quarter, but outscored the Rebels 17-8 in the second quarter to take a 24-16 lead into halftime and never trailed again in upsetting top-seeded Heidelberg.
The Jaguars led by as many as 14 points in the second half as a free throw by Jacob Ferguson put Wayne up 45-31 with 2:56 to play.
Wayne, 11-7, was led by Steven Wood's 20 points. Barrett Tynes tossed in 13 and Garet James had six.
Heidelberg got 16 points from Blake Bass, eight from Lloyd Windham, and seven each from Dusty Bass and Dan Edwards.
Heidelberg 52
Wayne girls 40
Heidelberg broke open a tight game midway through the fourth quarter to win the girls' consolation contest.
Wayne led 8-7 after one quarter and held a 14-7 advantage early in the second period before Heidelberg rallied to carry a 20-19 lead into halftime. The Lady Rebels led 32-29 to start the fourth quarter.
Ashlie McInnis and Courtney Thomas both had 15 points to lead Heidelberg, 12-15. Thomas had 12 points in the fourth quarter. Suzanne Lightsey hit three 3-pointers in tallying 14 points. Deshawn Shedd scored six points.
Wayne, 12-11, got 13 points from Erin Stanley and 10 each from Erin Wood and Kristian Davidson.
Newton boys 51
Sylva-Bay 37
The Generals outscored the Saints 26-9 in the second and fourth quarters to take the boys' consolation game.
Sylva-Bay, 5-17, led 12-10 after one period only to have NCA take a 20-15 lead into halftime. The Generals, 13-14, led 35-31 going into the fourth quarter.
Wil Bean led NCA with 15 points. David White hit three 3-pointers in tallying 11 points. Jonathan Moore had 10 points, while Bud Loper scored seven, and Chris Bounds had six.
Tyson Brown led Sylva-Bay with 14 points. Nathan Hayes added eight.