Friday March 29th, 2024 6:46AM

(VIDEO) Basketball semifinals: Buford girls battle back into championship game

FORT VALLEY — The Buford girls program knows all about the grind of playoff basketball -- so even when Villa Rica absorbed a few Lady Wolves haymakers and fired right back in Saturday's Class 5A semifinals there was absolutely no panic on Gene Durden's bench.

"It's the playoffs and you're going to have to win grind games," said the Buford coach after watching his team pull out a 60-46 win over Villa Rica in Fort Valley. "I'm just proud of the way we kept our composure tonight even when some weird things were happening early."

The Lady Wolves (28-3) battled their way out of a 29-29 halftime score, relying on defense and the combination of Audrey Weiner and Tory Ozment baskets to charge back into the state championship game for the eighth time in 10 seasons. They will face Region 8-AAAAA foe Flowery Branch at 6 p.m. Thursday in Macon for the Class 5A crown. The Lady Falcons stormed back from 15-down in the first half to beat Harris County 72-55 in the other semifinal.

Buford's defense and depth helped force a five-minute scoreless streak from the Lady Wildcats (26-2) over the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, as the Lady Wolves edged in front 44-35 on Ozment's runner with 6:20 to play. And while Villa Rica occasionally found ways to break Buford's full-court press, the Lady Wildcats never got comfortable, watching the Lady Wolves rip away 27 turnovers for the contest.

"We didn't want to let (Deasia Merrill) get going, because she's a force inside, so we really forced the tempo and tried to force some mistakes," Durden said. "But even when we did that, especially in the first half, we were getting tips on the ball and it would bounce right to them. We also made some mistakes that allowed them to score."

Buford made no mistake once it began to create breathing space late in the third quarter.

Weiner's steal and lay-up and Ozment's short jumper made it 42-35 at the end of the period, and Ozment's runner at the start of the fourth finally began to bring Buford's run at a second straight championship game appearance into focus. Weiner's fifth and final 3-pointer of the contest stretched Buford's adavantage to 47-37 with 6:01 to play, and Villa Rica never recovered.

Weiner finished with a game-high 20 points.

"Audrey's been doing that all season, and she hit some big shots tonight to put the nail in the coffin," Durden said. "She's a shooter; that's just what she does."

Ozment added 18 points, though the senior guard did foul out with 2:23 remaining. By that time, however, Buford held a 54-43 advantage and was not about to let it slip.

"It can't be about one player, and I'm really proud of the girls for keeping their composure there," Durden said. "This time of year if you make mistakes you just flush them and move on."

Buford looked set to move on from the outset, running out to a 5-0 lead and forcing nine first quarter turnovers before Villa Rica sprang to life and battled back into the game. The Lady Wildcats pulled within 14-13 at the end of the first quarter and used 3-pointers from Jalia Orozco and Tee Windom to help knot the score at halftime, 29-29.

But Buford kept the pressure on, Weiner draining a 3-pointer early in the third quarter for a 34-31 advantage. The Lady Wolves led the rest of the way -- though they might have pulled away quicker in shooting just 11 of 26 from the free throw line.

Windom led Villa Rica with 12 points. Orozco and Dekyia Colfield each scored nine.

Ebony Grant scored also seven for Buford. Tate Walters added six.

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