Gainesville, Ga — It was championship Friday as the Pickens Dragonettes, took on the GAC Lady Spartans for the 6-AAA Girls Region Championship on February 20th. The Nettes, came into the game as the #2 seed having beaten Dawson and White County. The Lady Spartans, came into the game as the #1 seed having beaten Johnson and North Hall. The Nettes, would hold off the Lady Spartans to pick up the win, 51-48, to capture their second straight region title.

The first quarter, was not kind to the Nettes. The Nettes, seemed to have a lid on the basket as they couldn’t get anything to fall and were held scoreless in the quarter. Luckily for the Nettes, the Lady Spartans, couldn’t find any consistency on offense as well as the Nettes defense limited the Lady Spartans to two field goals and a free throw. Heading to the second quarter, the Lady Spartans led the Nettes, 5-0.

Ellison Steinhauer, would finally get the Nettes on the board to start the second quarter as she would hit a three to make it 5-3. Onyekachi Ele-Oroko, would answer with a three and Milan Johnson would make her second basket to stretch the lead to 10-3. After a bucket by Reagan Ludington, Peyton Frazier and Steinhauer, would trade baskets as the Lady Spartans led it, 14-7.

Darbi Stanley, Tania Rivera, and Steinhauer, would combine to go on an 8-0 run to give the Nettes a 15-14 lead. After a basket by Johnson, Steinhauer, would beat the first half buzzer with a three to give the Nettes an 18-17 lead at the break.

A bucket by Frazier, would give the Lady Spartans the lead to begin the second half. Dru Jeckewicz, would then split a pair of free throws to make it 20-18. A turnaround jumper by Steinhauer, would tie the game at 20. Steinhauer, would then cash in on a steal as she would lay it in to make it 22-20 Nettes. Johnson, would tie the game at 22 after a pair of free throws.

A three by Jeckewicz, would put the Lady Spartans up, 25-22. Johnson, would then pick off a pass attempt and take it all the way for the lay-in to make it 27-22. A three by Tania Rivera, would cut the lead to 27-25. Kayden David, would answer with a three of her own to make it 30-25. A free throw line jumper by Lizzy Hathaway, would stretch the lead out to 32-25.

Steinhauer, would create space with a spin move and get the jumper to fall to make it 32-27. David, would get a floater to go after an offensive rebound to once again make it a 7 point game. A three by Stanley, would cut the lead down to 4. Jermani Govan, would extend the lead to 6 after a layup. Rivera and Stanley, would end the third quarter with back to back threes to tie the game at 36 heading to the fourth quarter.

Steinhauer, would keep the three point streak going to start the fourth quarter as the Nettes led it, 39-36. After a basket by Johnson cut the lead to one, Rivera, would hit the fourth three in a row for the Nettes to put them up 42-38. Govan, would split a pair of free throws on two separate trips to make it 42-40. Ludington and Stanley, would then hit the fifth and sixth straight three for the Nettes to stretch the lead out to 48-40.

A 6-0 run by Govan and Jeckewicz, would trim the lead down to 48-46. Steinhauer, would make a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 50-46. A layup by Johnson, would once again cut the lead in half. Steinhauer, with less than three seconds left, would split a pair of free throws to make it 51-48. A last chance shot to tie it by the Lady Spartans would hit the top of the backboard and the Nettes would come away with the win, 51-48.

Scoring leaders for the Nettes:

Ellison Steinhauer: 22 points

Tania Rivera: 12 points

Darbi Stanley: 12 points

Reagan Ludington: 5 points

With the win, the Nettes, are guaranteed a top 8 seed in next week’s AAA Girls State Basketball Tournament. We will find out over the weekend what seed the Nettes will be and who they will host in the first round.