Jefferson girls advance to Class A championship game

MACON - Lee DuBose scored 23 points and Melinda Floyd 16 as defending Class A champion 11th ranked Jefferson earned a return to the state final by beating 10th rated Treutlen 58-43 in a semifinal Monday. <br> <br> Jefferson (25-7) trailed only in the opening minute and scored the final 10 points of the first half, expanding a 16-15 lead to 26-15. The Lady Dragons led by as many as 16 in the second half. <br> <br> &#34;We kind of got off to a slow start, &#34; said Jefferson coach Kevin Jacobs. &#34;It was an 18-15 game with two minutes left to go in the first half. We scored eight points in 20 seconds, and that kind of turned it around, and give us an 11 point lead at half-time and it was 14 after three, and then we finally finished winning by 15.&#34;<br> <br> Jennifer Baker scored 15 for Treutlen (18-9).<br> <br> Meanwhile, Nikki Luckhurst scored 34 points and fourth-ranked Wesleyan earned a return appearance in the state championship game, beating top-rated Taylor County 65-40 in the other Class A girls&#39; state semifinal on Monday. <br> <br> Wesleyan (26-4) lost to Jefferson in the state final last year. The two will meet again Friday at noon. <br> <br> Wesleyan beat Jefferson twice in the regular season and again in the Region 8-A Tournament. <br> <br> The Lady Wolves led by as many as 27 and were not threatened after an 11-0 run in midway through the second quarter gave them a 27-12 lead. <br> <br> Gloria Troutman scored nine for Taylor County (30-2).