GAINESVILLE — The Lakeview Academy girls basketball team has a chance to pull off the biggest upset in perhaps a decade in girls basketball in the state or become just the latest rabble in a long line of victims.
Why?
Because the Lady Lions’ will get their shot at trying to end the best streak going in Georgia against two-time defending Class A Private state champion Wesleyan Tuesday night in the Elite 8 of the state playoffs at the Lakeview gym.
However, Lakeview coach John Carrick has a very simple solution to slaying the largest dragon in girls basketball in the state.
“Just need to score one more point than they do. If we can do that, we win the game,” Carrick said Monday as they prepare for the biggest home playoff game in the program’s history.
Well, as they say, ‘Keep It Simple....’
“You have to,” Carrick said. “At this point in the season, no matter who you are, you can’t just suddenly change what you do for one particular team. You don’t have enough time to master something new. You’re much better off just getting better at what you do. That’s going to be our approach.”
The challenge, however, is probably even more daunting than the stats would indicate. The Lady Wolves (26-3) are playing in their 18th consecutive quarterfinals and are trying to extend a streak of advancing to 15 straight championship games. They have captured 12 titles in that span and have 13 overall since beginning play in the Georgia High School Association in 2001.
Lakeview (25-4) comes in hot having won 16 straight and is undefeated on its home floor (9-0) including taking an impressive 58-36 win over Darlington in the second round. But they aren’t completely unfamiliar with the Lady Wolves. The two teams met in the 2017 Class A Private semifinals in the Cobb County Civic Center with Wesleyan taking a dominating 77-35 victory on the way to the state title that season.
“Different teams for both of us since then but they just keep restocking so you know what you’re going to get with them. They do everything well,” Carrick said. “We’ll have to shoot the ball extremely well and hope they don’t.”
The Lady Lions have been able to use their trapping press to break down their opponents during their long win streak. But Wesleyan can counter with sophomore point guard Paige Lyons, who is already among the best players in the state. Lyons, Carrick said, has the ability to breakdown any press.
But Lakeview has junior Jackie Allen, who has been able to neutralize most every player she has matched up with this season in their press and then in their tough man-to-man defense.
“Jackie is a great defender and she always draws the toughest assignment,” Carrick said. “I don’t think we’ve played anyone with the ability of Lyons at the point so that will be a big matchup. Quick players can beat a press. If Jackie can hold her own, we’ll be able to do some things.”
However, Wesleyan also has four players that are 5-foot-10 or taller and rebounding will be a huge factor as well. Lakeview’s tallest player is 5-9 senior Sadie Thrailkill. But junior Elize Snyder and freshman sister Joelle Snyder, move-ins during the offseason from St. Francis, along with junior Maddie Towles give the Lady Lions a punchers-chance for sure.
“Hopefully we’ll shoot the ball so well we won’t have to worry about offensive rebounding but we are going to have to limit them to one shot on their end. If they are getting a lot of second-chance opportunities, that will be a problem,” Carrick said.
And despite the matchup being deep in the playoffs and carrying significant weight for both teams, Carrick said atmosphere may not play as big a part as some may think.
“They’re certainly not going to be too rattled by a road game and we’ve been in the playoffs a bunch and a lot of our girls were on that Final Four team two years ago,” he said. “We’re looking at this as just another home game like you would during the regular season. I think that approach that should help us not worry so much about who we’re playing.”
Well, after Tuesday night, it will either be one to forget, or one that will never be forgotten by the Lady Lions and those in the Lakeview gym.
