Basketball: Lady Trojans take 2nd in 8-AAAA in North Hall sweep of Stephens Co.

GAINESVILLE -- Most teams losing their star player for the season and their second-best player for nine games would most-likely be playing out the string this time of year.<br /> <br /> Not so the North Hall girls.<br /> <br /> The Lady Trojans rallied from a slow start and then held on in the final minute to beat Stephens County 53-49 in both teams' regular season finale Friday at the North Hall gym. The victory, coupled with Buford's 45-26 win over White County, secured the No. 2 seed in next week's Region Tournament and a home game in the first round for good measure for the Lady Trojans.<br /> <br /> North Hall coach Kristi House said it was an appropriate finish for a resilient group.<br /> <br /> "We've had a lot of adversity with losing Sydney (Cleveland) for the year and then Sadie (Cleveland) for nine games and just having to deal with other things as well," House said. "I can't say enough about this group of girls. They never quit and just get after it every game. We've had so many different people step up during the season. It's truly been a team effort.<br /> <br /> "After Sydney went down I don't know if I felt we could finish second. It's a tough region and there are no easy games. But this group just always seems to find a way."<br /> <br /> It was basically an all-or-nothing game for North Hall (15-10, 6-2 Region 8-AAAA) which would have dropped to fourth with a loss regardless of White County's outcome. The loss dropped Stephens County (12-12, 4-4) to no better than fifth and the Lady Indians could drop to sixth depending on the rest of Friday's outcomes.<br /> <br /> "It's a great accomplishment with the way some things have gone. Now we can just focus on winning the next one and getting into state," House said. <br /> <br /> North Hall showed its grit in the final 3:26 of the game. The Lady Indians took their final lead of the game, 41-40, after a 4-0 run, but the Lady Trojans' Katie Sayres answered with five points over the next 1:03 to reclaim the lead for good. A Sadie Cleveland free throw capped an 8-0 run for a 48-41 lead with 48 seconds left while Stephens County missed eight consecutive shots in that span.<br /> <br /> North Hall put the game away at the free throw line hitting 8-of-10 in the final 1:24 and needed every one as the Lady Indians' Mya Cleveland scored eight points in 38 seconds, including two 3-pointers -- the final one with 3.4 seconds left to cut the lead to 52-49. Sadie Cleveland sealed it with a free throw with 1.6 seconds left. Stephens County was just 4-of-16 from the line for the game.<br /> <br /> "It was good to see us hit some big free throws at the end," House said. "I thought we did a good job at the end, other than letting Mya hit those shots. But she's good."<br /> <br /> Sadie Cleveland paced North Hall with 14 points and 10 rebounds despite leaving the came for part of the second half with a minor injury. She returned midway through the fourth quarter to provide a spark. Kensi Gillespie added 12 points, Taylor Anne Kelley had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Sayres finished with 10 points for the Lady Trojans.<br /> <br /> Mya Cleveland poured in a game-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead the Lady Indians despite also missing time in the second half with a shin injury. Lexi Cash had 13 points for Stephens County.<br /> <br /> It was slow going for both offenses in the first half. North Hall missed its first seven shots, including four 3-pointers, while Stephens County was just 1-for-7 to start after a Cash basket opened the scoring more two minutes into the game.<br /> <br /> The Lady Trojans got on a the board with a Gillespie free throw but the Lady Indians extended the lead to 5-1 on a Mya Cleveland 3-pointer. North Hall got its first basket with 3:45 left in the first quarter when Sadie Cleveland drained a long 3-pointer to spark a 7-2 run.<br /> <br /> Stephens County answered with a 6-2 run to take a 13-10 lead after the first quarter.<br /> <br /> North Hall opened the second quarter with a 6-0 run, capped by a Sayres 3-pointer, and would hold the Lady Indians to just four points in the second quarter while building a 20-17 halftime lead.<br /> <br /> Stephens County finished just 6-of-26 from the field while North Hall was only slightly better going 6-of-25 in the first half. The Lady Trojans were just 2-of-14 on 3-pointers while Stephens County was 3-of-9 from behind the arc in the first half. <br /> <br /> Stephens County came out firing in the second half behind Mya Cleveland and Cash. The two combined for 11 points in an 11-3 run to take a 28-23 lead. but Gillespie answered with five straight points to tie the game and the two teams traded the lead six times over the final 10 minutes with four ties, including at 35 to end the third quarter.<br /> <br /> The teams shot marginally better in the second half. North Hall was 4-of-8 on 3-pointers while Stephens County went 6-of-14 from behind the arc in the second half.<br /> <br /> NOTES: It was third straight win for North Hall to end the season. The Lady Trojans went 11-6 after a 4-4 start to the season. ... Stephens County had allowed 50 points or fewer in its last four games until Friday. ... <br /> <br /> <b>North Hall boys 50<br /> Stephens County 41</b><br /> <br /> North Hall never trailed in getting a huge win to close out the season. <br /> <br /> The victory moved the Trojans (13-12, 4-4 Region 8-AAAA) into fourth place and avoided them having to face either Johnson or Buford in the first round to get into the state playoffs.<br /> <br /> The Trojans opened the game with a 7-0 run and led 10-3 after the first quarter. Brock Wingo then capped a solid second quarter with a 3-pointer to give North Hall a 22-12 halftime lead.<br /> <br /> North Hall blew the game open with a 6-0 run to start the second half for a 28-12 lead. <br /> <br /> Stephens County (7-18, 2-6) used a 9-5 run to close out the third quarter to pull within 38-27 and then opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 38-36 with six minutes left.<br /> <br /> After a North Hall timeout, the Trojans went to a slowdown offense and it paid dividends. They held Stephens County to just two points over the next five minutes while building a 50-38 lead.<br /> <br /> Carson Heinen led North Hall with 15 points. Wingo added 13, and Harry Harper had 11 for the Trojans. Evan Easton pulled down 13 rebounds for North Hall.<br /> <br /> Combs paced Stephens County with 17 points, including five 3-pointers.<br /> <br /> The loss dropped the Indians to eighth in the region and they will play host to North Oconee on Monday in the play-in game.

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