Brentwood beats Westwood for GISA Class AA title

MACON — It was almost the storybook ending.

Senior point guard Meagan Moye, playing her final game, got the ball and took the shot as time ran out as Westwood battled for the state title against Brentwood Academy.

But the ball hit the rim and missed as the buzzer sounded and the Brentwood Lady Eagles took the Georgia Independent Schools Association Class AA title with a 46-45 victory Saturday afternoon at Mercer University’s Hawkins Arena.

“It was a tough break,” said an emotional Derrick Harris, head coach of the Lady Wildcats. “These girls played hard for 32 minutes. These were hard minutes and they never once quit. They were fighting for the ball and doing everything I asked of them. But sometimes you get a bad break and you lose.”

That storybook ending would have meant so much more for the four seniors on the Westwood team, who all played significant roles and shared plenty of game time in the championship game. Seniors Elizabeth Glass, Abby Santos, Jenson Jones and Moye were on the floor during most of the final quarter of play.

Those four were also on the team a year ago when Westwood fell in the Class AAA state championship game against Gatewood.

Westwood’s Lady Wildcats had trailed most of the game, but late in the third quarter, they finally took a lead and got up by as many as six points. They took the lead in the third quarter on a basket by Gracie Pollock who scored after a sharp assist from McKenlee Coleman.

Pollock led her team in scoring with 17 points, but fouled out with three minutes left on the clock.

Neither team could generate much offense in the fourth quarter. After leading 38-37 at the end of the third, the high-powered offense of Westwood managed only seven fourth quarter points, mostly from free throws.

Westwood got four key free throws from Abby Santos who scored six of the seven fourth-quarter points. Santos was second in scoring for Westwood with 12.

Both teams started the game trying to use full-court pressure to create turnovers and score quickly. Early, the pressure caused a number of Westwood turnovers that gave Brentwood their early lead.

In the second half, the Lady Cats had no issue with the full-court pressure as it set up a number of quick layups by Pollock. In the fourth quarter, the Lady Eagles did not use that full court press.

“There are no excuses,” Harris said. “We played hard and did what we were supposed to do. Sometimes it just doesn’t turn out your way. But I am really proud of those girls.”

Westwood finishes the season with a 29-3 record and state-runner up as well as region runner-up trophy.