Thursday March 28th, 2024 6:49PM

Championship basketball: Wysocki, Woodroffe and bench may be key in Lady Falcons' title chase

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

FLOWERY BRANCH — It’s no secret that Alabama-bound senior Taniyah Worth is often the on-court barometer of the Flowery Branch girls basketball team.

But in Saturday's Class 5A semifinals against Harris County, juniors Caroline Wysocki and Ashley Woodroffe made the most of an opportunity to direct the Lady Falcons.

The low-key pair kept the Lady Falcons afloat during an otherwise rocky first quarter and then helped overhaul a 15-point deficit en route to a 72-55 win over the Lady Tigers. They combined for 42 of the Lady Falcons’ output, and more importantly, provided the red-hot spark needed to push them into their first ever championship game.

Wysocki poured in a career-high 26 points -- including 13 of the Lady Falcons' 25 first-half points. Woodroffe finished with 16 points. In the quarterfinals, Woodroffe pumped in 26 of her own to help defeat Dutchtown.

The pair were reserved, however, when asked about accepting bigger roles during the Lady Falcons' playoff march.

“Well, we felt like we needed to step up when we got down,” Wysocki said. “I was a little worried there, but we’re also confident in what we can do. We just try to do whatever is needed.”

Woodroffe, who is considered one of the defensive stoppers on the squad, said she started to get into a groove once they turned up the defensive pressure.

“I like playing defense. That’s what gets me in the game,” Woodroffe said. “We just did a better job after the first quarter.”

Flowery Branch trailed Harris County 23-8 at one point in the first half before Wysocki and Woodroffe sparked a defensive turnaround that helped the Lady Falcons pull within 29-25 by halftime.

The contributions by Wysocki, Woodroffe and the rest of the Flowery Branch bench are no surprise to coach Courtney Newton-Gonzalez.

“(Caroline and Ashley) have been playing big minutes for us all year,” Newton-Gonzalez said. “They have gotten better every year. But we have a good bench that we feel we can get quality minutes when we need them.”

The offensive exploits of the Lady Falcons, with Worth and Lexie Sengkhemmee leading the way, have been on display for four seasons. But when the Lady Falcons are at their best, the defense is the catalyst.

Which is why Newton-Gonzalez knows they will have to be at the top of their game when they take on fellow Region 8-AAAAA foe and defending Class 5A state champion Buford for the title at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Macon Coliseum.

“We feel like we can score points. But when you get to this point of the season, defense is the key to winning,” the coach said. “When we’re getting turnovers and fastbreak baskets like we did after the first quarter (against Harris County), that’s when we’re really dangerous.”

However, the Lady Wolves have won all six meetings between the two teams since they both joined Region 8-AAAAA, including three this season.

Woodroffe said the key to any title aspirations will begin on the defensive end, and she knows she will have the spotlight on her.

“Against Buford we have to play better defense than we have in the other games,” Woodroffe said. “They have a great defense as well so we can’t give up easy baskets.”

In the Region 8-AAAAA championship game, a 49-41 Buford victory, Flowery Branch trailed just 25-23 at halftime but fell victim to a slow start to the third quarter and never recovered.

Wysocki said the experiences of the earlier meetings with the Lady Wolves will go a long way.

“I felt like we controlled the tempo (in the region title game) against their press,” Wysocki said. “But we made some careless passes after we got past it. I like playing Buford because you know it’s going to be a huge challenge and I think that makes us better. Hopefully we’ve learned enough from the other games to be able to finally get a win.”

Newton-Gonzalez said Wysocki, Woodroffe and the rest of the roster are nearly inseparable off the court and hopes that the tight camaraderie of the group will continue to drive them towards what she hopes is a first-ever state title.

“Chemistry is so important in team sports and this team has great chemistry,” she said. “They really love each other and play for each other. That will be a big key for us.”

Woodroffe said one of their favorite things to do is hang out and play “Just Dance” as a group. Are they preparing to have a dance party after Thursday? The big question then was, who has the best moves on the dance floor?

“Maybe Lexie (is the best), but I can dance,” Woodroffe said. “It’s not too good after that. But maybe we can have a dance party afterwards. I don’t think any of us would care then.”

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