Thursday March 28th, 2024 12:59PM

Basketball: Lady Falcons ready to make a statement

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

FLOWERY BRANCH — Flowery Branch senior Queen Scott said she agreed wholeheartedly with coach Courtney Newton-Gonzalez.

“This is definitely our chance to make a statement,” Scott just before practice Monday as the Lady Falcons prepared to take on Carrollton on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Class AAAAA playoffs. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

“(Coach) has been telling us to go out there and do something no one else has done. That’s what we’re focused on.”

The “statement” would be advancing past the quarterfinal round. Despite fielding a few star players and winning region and Lanierland titles in its relatively short time as a program -- including Newton-Gonzalez herself -- the Lady Falcons have yet to soar into a "Final Four."

Last year's team hoped to end that fact but fell to Brunswick, 52-47, in a quarterfinal contest that the Branch led most of the way. The result left a bitter flavor in players' and coaches' mouths -- one that they determined to rinse out this season.

A rugged non-region schedule and a tough Region 8-AAAAA slate provided the Lady Falcons ample opportunity to grow and progress. However, three losses to Buford in Region 8-AAAAA play relegated them to a No. 2 state playoff seed and a tougher postseason road.

They Lady Falcons hammered North Springs 58-32 in the first round and then made the rest of Class AAAAA take notice with a 59-36 drubbing of Region 2-AAAAA champion Statesboro in last week's second round road contest.

Newton-Gonzalez said it was a harvesting of the fruits of their early-season labors.

“I think we may be playing the best we have all season right now,” she said. “I was very pleased with the game against Statesboro. The defense -- especially the press -- was very good. We may use it a little more depending on the opponent.”

That was a statement in itself. Flowery Branch is the only team still playing in Class AAAAA that did not win a region title.

“We know that,” senior Julianne Sutton said. “That’s pretty cool. But we also know that every team is good. We’re just trying to stay focused.”

Newton-Gonzalez said the tough schedule was by design.

“Well, our region (8-AAAAA) is extremely tough so we feel like that helped us prepare for the playoffs,” Newton-Gonzalez said. “We played some tough non-region teams to help us get ready for the playoffs. It means a lot to us that we’re the only non-region winner left.

“Hopefully it says a lot about where we are as a program. We want to be considered among the best.”

If there were themes for Sutton, Scott, and the rest of the Lady Falcons for their success of the last two seasons, focus and chemistry were it.

“We feel like we can beat anybody, but we have to play focused and stay focused,” Scott said.

“The big thing about this team is the chemistry,” Sutton said. “Most of the team has been together since middle school, and we all get along and have fun. That’s a huge factor for this team.”

They certainly will need plenty of both against the Lady Trojans. Carrollton has the most most wins in AAAAA, the highest winning percentage at .967, and is riding an 18-game win streak. Their only loss was to Macon County (Ky.), and they steamrolled Chamblee 63-29 in the first round and held off Fayette County 59-48 in the second round.

“There are a very balanced, skilled team with two really good post players [junior Devonna Black-bey and junior Elexus Bell] and has good guard play [junior Taylor Brown and Ansley Barge],” Newton-Gonzalez said. “They play physical and we will need to match that.”

But after battling No. 1 Buford three times and experiencing the perhaps the best defensive team in the classification, the Lady Falcons believe they face a matchup that gives them an opportunity to make that statement.

Sutton, junior Taniyah Worth, and senior Joanah Williams pose problems inside. Scott and junior Lexi Sengkhemmee, and Caroline Wysocki off the bench, also give Flowery Branch plenty of firepower on both ends of the floor.

“Carrollton doesn’t like to press like a Buford but they play great man-to-man defense,” Newton-Gonzalez said. “We’ve seen a great press like Buford has so I’m not sure we’ll see a defense that tough. We can lean on that for experience, but we feel good that we can make some things happen.”

Sutton believes the Lady Falcons own fortunes may rest with their defense.

“I think that will be the key,” she said. “Carrollton looks good but I think we can match up with them. We have people that can score so if we can hold them down on defense we can win the game.”

It is a bold statement, but the Branch knows there is no room for doubt at this stage.

“We feel confident right now,” Sutton said. “We just have to go out and play like we have been.”

Considering their playoff past and desire to finally break through to the semifinals, the Lady Falcons are excited for the opportunity at hand.

“Our seniors especially are excited about the opportunity they have," Newton-Gonzalez said. "We came up a little short last year and I think that is driving them a little bit. There’s still some pain from that loss in their minds. They seem very inspired right now to do something that no one has done here yet in basketball.”

Flowery Branch players are very much aware that they could be treading new ground by this weekend.

“If we could get past the quarterfinals, that would be amazing," Scott said. "We want to do something nobody here has done before."

Sutton was not shy about the expectations the seniors have for themselves.

“I can see us winning the title,” she said. “We’re taking things one at a time but we feel we have the team that can be the first one ever for Flowery Branch. That’s what we want.”

  • Associated Categories: Sports, High School Sports
  • Associated Tags: High school basketball, Flowery Branch girls basketball
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