FORT VALLEY — Flowery Branch's championship game dreams lay floundering on the court -- until Caroline Wysocki grabbed hold and refused to let go.
The rest of the Lady Falcons followed suit on Saturday. And after trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half, the Flowery Branch girls basketball team turned the tables and stormed into its first ever title shot, sprinting past Harris County for a 72-55 Class 5A semifinal victory at Fort Valley.
Wysocki scored a career-high 26 points -- including 13 of the Lady Falcons' 25 first half points -- keeping Flowery Branch within striking distance early, as they weathered a strong start from Harris County and towering center Jessika Carter.
"We would have been in a huge hole in the first half if it weren't for her," Lady Falcons coach Courtney Gonzalez said. "Just to see her put the team on her back offensively -- and then defenisvely she and Ashley (Woodroffe) got it going too. It was just incredible."
Listed at 5-foot-5, Wysocki determined not to let the 6-5 Carter run the show, and matched the Mississippi State-bound center in the early going when Branch senior forward Taniyah Worth was forced to the bench with two early fouls. Carter scored seven in the first quarter to help the Lady Tigers (28-3) to a 14-4 lead -- only to watch Wysocki slash inside and answer with six of her own to pull within 14-8.
And even when Harris County pulled ahead 23-8 in the second quarter, Wysocki and Woodroffe combined to find the answers, scoring 14 points combined (seven apiece) just before halftime to spark a 17-6 run and pull within 29-25 at the interval. Woodroffe finished the game with 16 points.
"I was just thinking to myself this isn't going to end here," Wysocki said. "I think we were a little bit nervous coming in. But we got it together, and then 'T' (Worth) came in and helped us out."
Worth stoked Branch's surge in the third quarter, scoring 12 of her 20 points to help turn a four-point deficit into a 49-37 Lady Falcons lead.
Thanks to a swarming Flowery Branch defense, the advantage was more than enough.
The Lady Falcons (26-6) forced 22 turnovers for the game -- 16 of those in the second half. And while Carter still got her points, most of them came once the Branch owned a double-digit lead, as Carter put up 12 of her team-high 24 in the fourth quarter.
"That was fun; they came in at halftime and just had that look in their eyes," Gonzalez said. "We couldn't have had much worse of a first quarter. But we made some adjustments to what we were doing defensively.
"This is is something they have believed in since day one, and they just kept fighting and battling."
Now the Lady Falcons will get a shot at the ultimate dream -- and nemesis Buford in the championship game. The defending state champion Lady Wolves defeated Flowery Branch for the Region 8-AAAAA title in each of the last two seasons.
"We know we've got to play great basketball to beat them," Gonzalez said. "They're an incredible program."
Wysocki too knows it will take something special -- again.
"I just think we've got to want it more and fight for everything," Wysocki said.
