NORTHWEST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT: West Point falls to Pleasant Grove 54-35

Published 11:12 am Saturday, February 16, 2019

HANCEVILLE — West Point’s varsity girls came up short on Saturday, falling to Pleasant Grove 54-35 at the Northwest Regional Tournament.

The Class 5A No. 10 Lady Warriors ended their impressive season at 27-6, while the No. 8 Lady Spartans (23-8) advanced to the title tilt next Wednesday at 9 a.m.

“We hung with them for a quarter and a half,” West Point coach John Welborn said. “But we got into foul trouble. And when that happened, we lost some momentum. We battled, and we played hard. I was proud of them. Pleasant Grove is good. That’s why they’re down here. I knew before the game we had to play a perfect game to win, and we didn’t. We didn’t score like we normally do. And it was credit to them. But we also weren’t attacking when we broke the press.”

West Point led 9-6 after the first frame and extended their advantage to 13-8 following four quick points from Mackenzie Carter early in the second.

But Carter and Lexi Shadix — Welborn’s best interior defenders — spent time on the bench with foul trouble throughout the quarter, allowing Pleasant Grove to make its run.

The Lady Spartans used a huge 20-7 spurt to close out the first half and took a 28-20 cushion into intermission.

They forced a few turnovers — the Lady Warriors had 23 for the game — with their press, and Maya Cunningham and Destiny Garrett scored several baskets during the crucial stretch.

“That was kind of the turning point,” Welborn said. “If we could have hung around a little longer into the third, it could have been a closer game. They got that momentum and got on a roll.”

Added Carter: “We were trying not to foul. We weren’t scared to play defense, just a little wary of getting fouls. And our defense lacked, so they got some layups.”

Carter made the opening bucket of the third quarter, cutting the deficit down to six points.

Pleasant Grove, however, responded with a 15-3 run to close out the stanza and take control.

West Point never got closer than 16 points the rest of the way.

Carter had nine points for the Maroon and White, while Micah Oldacre and Molly Pendley tallied six apiece. Shadix (five), Miriam Oldacre (five) and Sydney Smith (four) also contributed.

Cunningham (16) and Garrett (15) were the top scorers for Pleasant Grove.

Despite Saturday’s tough outcome, the Lady Warriors put together a remarkable campaign.

West Point won its first county tournament title since 2006, secured the 5A, Area 14 Tournament crown and advanced to the Northwest Regional Tournament for the first time in 13 years.

Welborn loses just two seniors — Olivia Ball and Natalie Trammell — off a 27-win squad that will no doubt be motivated to make a return visit to Wallace State next season.

“I told them in the locker room that we’re going to be in the exact same place next year, probably on the exact same day, playing the exact same team,” Welborn said. “We just have to work. We had a lot of girls step up this year.”

Carter will be among those returning — and she’s already growing impatient.

“I’m ready for next year right now,” she said.