Pelham girls shake off sluggish first quarter to beat Darlington

PELHAM — At the four minute mark of the first quarter and the Darlington School leading by eight, Pelham girls coach Antonia Tookes took off her blazer, scowled and called a timeout.

Quadranqiue Franklin said she knew that’s when it was serious.

Pelham began to play better defense, box out and rebound – Tookes’ favorite trademarks that had gotten the Lady Hornets this far.

They shook off their rustiness, took the lead midway through the second quarter and finally established some breathing room themselves and Darlington Monday night in the second round of the Georgia High School Association Class AA state tournament. Pelham took a 69-60 decision, then won another mild victory after the game.

The Lady Hornets then won the coin flip between Manchester’s coaches, meaning Pelham will play host to the Lady Blue Devils Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

It’s the same round Pelham’s season ended last year in heartbreaking fashion.

“This is exactly where we want to be,” said Franklin, who helped kickstart Pelham’s defense Monday night. “I guess we just needed a little fire from her (Tookes).

“Last year, we ended the season with a 27-1 record. This year, we’re 27-1 going into this game. We’re motivated to go hard.”

Pelham needed everything it could muster in the first quarter when they played sluggishly. It had been six days since the Lady Hornets’ first-round victory over St. Vincent’s Academy last Tuesday night. Ice and inclement weather in North Georgia had postponed Darlington’s first-round game against Union County. The two teams were finally able to play on Saturday.

Tookes said the layoff did have an effect on her team early.

“We finally woke up in the second quarter,” she said. “Thank God we have a player like Briunna Freeman who kept us in the game in the first half. Then she got some help in the second half.”

Freeman sparked an 11-2 run to start the second quarter over the first 3:17 to tie the game at 21. The Herald Super 6er scored 13 of her 31 points in the second quarter.

The Lady Hornets forced nine turnovers, then shot a blistering 56 percent from the floor (10 of 18) to take command. Mahogany Randle’s 3-point dagger with nine seconds left before halftime cut down Darlington’s attempt to tie the game at halftime.

Destiny Thomas helped spark a 7-2 run to open the third quarter with a basket and a 3-pointer as Pelham built leads as high as 17 in the second half.

Darlington made a late run but Pelham’s defense kept the Lady Tigers from mounting much of a late threat.

Randle finished with 17 points, while Thomas added eight points, all during a key third quarter.

A stat Tookes said won’t end up in the boxscore was Franklin’s defense on Darlington’s Anna Claire Atha, who finished with 34 points. Tookes said Atha’s output could have been more.

“If she hadn’t play tight defense on their No. 5 (Atha), I don’t know what we would have done,” Tookes said of Franklin.

“But it’s wonderful to be back in the elite eight. This group of seniors has been with me since the 8th-grade, so for them to have a chance to get to the final four, that’s all we can ask.”