BLAIRSVILLE — The Union County girls perhaps had the better team. Early County however, had the best player.
Early County junior and Division I prospect Mikayla Timpson was a tall, lanky 6-foot-3 puzzle that Union County just could not solve. Timpson scored 18 points and pulled down 8 rebounds, both under her season averages. But it was her 13 blocks, including two in the final five seconds, that was the difference in the Lady Bobcats’ stealing a 60-58 win over the Lady Panthers Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A playoffs.
When Timpson was on the court, Early County outscored Union County 54-34. She dominated on the defensive end altering shots when she wasn’t swatting them away.
But she also battled foul trouble for most of the second half and when she picked up her third foul late in the third quarter the Lady Panthers struck. Behind Ava Hunter and Andelin Hill, Union County rallied from a 35-25 deficit to run out to a 49-41 advantage with just 4:50 left in the game.
“(Timpson’s) a talented kid but I thought we did some good things in the first half against her,” Union County coach Crystal Beach said. “But we had some turnovers in the second quarter and for us to be at our best on defense we have to play well on offense. We had the lead but just couldn’t keep it.”
Early on it was a back-and-forth affair. Early County struck first with a Keonna Jackson basket in the opening minute but the Lady Panthers used a tough zone to limit the Lady Bobcats the rest of the first quarter. Meanwhile, Brooke Dockery and Hunter were able to penetrate the Lady Bobcats defense for 4 points each to spark an 11-2 run that finished as an 11-6 lead after the opening frame.
But the Lady Bobcats, and Timpson in particular, finally found some seams in the Union zone. Timpson, who had 7 blocks in the first half, shook off a scoreless first quarter for 7 points as Early County’s height and quickness sparked a 16-2 run to open the second quarter for a 22-13 lead.
Union County had almost as many turnovers (5) as points (6) in the second quarter and began to get in foul trouble as well as Timpson and Jackson were able to exploit the Lady Panthers defense to take a 25-17 lead into the intermission. Five consecutive points by Timpson in the third quarter pushed their lead to as many as 32-19.
The tide turned for Union County in a 7-second span. Timpson picked up her third foul and Jackson was called for a technical foul with 2:45 left in the third quarter. Hunter then used her size inside against the smaller Lady Bobcats and sparked what would become a 28-7 explosion. Hunter, who finished with 19 points, 14 in the second half, converted a give-and-go for a 40-39 lead and a Hill stick-back basket gave Union a 49-41 lead.
But Timpson, who had picked up her fourth foul just seconds into the fourth quarter after sitting the final 3:03 of the third, was just too much down the stretch. And to compliment Timpson’s inside prowess, Early County’s Ashontay Henderson drained a pair of huge 3-pointers for a 55-51 lead.
Those would be the fifth 3-pointers of the game for Early County, which averaged just over two 3-pointers a game coming into the quarterfinals.
Union County scored five straight for a 56-55 lead but a Jackson steal and layup reclaimed the lead for Early County. After a Timpson free throw, the Lady Panthers tied it at 58 on a Hill basket. But Timpson’s put-back of her own miss with 9 seconds left was the eventual game-winner.
The Lady Panthers had two chances to tie the game on the final possession but Timpson was able to thwart a pair of Union shots and the Lady Bobcats ran out the final two seconds.
Dockery (14) and Hill (15) combined for 29 points and Kait McCarter played Timpson tough on the defensive end, and all are seniors. But Hunter, just a sophomore, had a breakout season and 10 of their top 13 players return next season for the Lady Panthers.
“Our seniors showed great leadership and really bought into what we wanted to do, which was big with this just being our first year here,” Beach said. ”But the young kids are talented and the foundation has been set. This group just did a great job all year and put Union County on the map. The future looks good.”
Early County (26-4) moves into its second straight semifinal. The Lady Bobcats finished as state runners-up in 2019.
Union County finished the season 23-7 and as Region 8-2A champions and advanced to its first quarterfinals since 2001.
