Jacelyn Stone
LOUDON, Tenn. – Jacelyn Stone converted five of six free throws in the final quarter to nudge No. 1 Meigs County past McMinn Central, 43-38, in the girls District 5-2A championship game Tuesday night.
The Lady Tigers (29-2) trailed by one entering the fourth quarter before Stone’s late heroics. The gritty 5-foot-3 sophomore point guard scored nine of her team-high 13 points in the period to secure the win.
Meigs County defeated McMinn Central by 20 at home earlier in the season, but has struggled against the Chargerettes away from Decatur. McMinn overcame a double-digit deficit to earn a one-point home win in December, one of the Lady Tigers’ two losses this season.
The Lady Tigers surged to an 11-point advantage in the district finale after one frame, but the offense went silent in the second quarter. McMinn Central’s Melia Baker, who led all scorers with 19 points, sparked the comeback with nine points in the period to knot the score at 21-all at halftime.
Ansley Wade, coming off a career-high 20 points in the semifinals, again provided a needed spark for Meigs County off the bench. She tallied all seven of the Lady Tigers’ points in the second period, and then drilled her third three-pointer of the contest during a critical stage of the fourth quarter.
The Lady Tigers allowed McMinn to remain close thanks a shaky night at the charity stripe. Meigs County made only one of eight free throw attempts during the middle two quarters when the offense could muster only 15 combined points. But Stone’s accuracy when it mattered most sealed the win.
Wade, who finished with 12 points, was named the tournament’s most valuable player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Stone and Anna Crowder.
Both teams will host regional quarterfinal contests Friday night at 7 p.m. Meigs County will entertain Tyner, the fourth seed in District 6, while McMinn Central faces third-seeded Brainerd.
McMinn Central 3 18 9 8 – 38
Meigs County 14 7 8 14 -- 43
MCMINN CENTRAL (38) - Melia Baker 19, Runyan 9, Smith 8, K. Baker, Beaty, Rule, Buckner 2.
MEIGS COUNTY (43) – Jacelyn Stone 13, Powell 6, A. Crowder 8, E. Crower, Kenny 4, Ansley Wade 12, Crager, Bales.
3-Point Goals: McMinn Central 3 (M. Baker, Runyan, Smith); Meigs County – 3 (Wade 3)