The Union County Lady Panthers looked to be as advertised last Tuesday night in their preseason scrimmage with Rabun Gap in Blairsville.

Ava Hunter, last season’s Class AA Freshman of the Year, put up 28 points. Senior wing Andelin Hill scored 11, while senior Kait McCarter added nine.

Lady Panthers senior Andelin takes a shot during a scrimmage last week.

Union County won 61-41, but scrimmages don’t mean much in the long run.

What may mean quite a lot is the Lady Panthers look to be in prime position to get back to the state playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

Led by first-year head coach Crystal Beach, who seems to have energized the squad, the team seems to have all the weapons in all the right places to make a run through the region.

To make that run, the team is going to play with as much pace as possible, according to Beach.

“We like to run fast as much as we can,” Beach said. “We want to use the entire floor to our benefit.”

They showed that willingness to run Tuesday, and they don’t plan on slowing down.

The Lady Panthers went 14-11 last season, finishing fifth in Region 8-AA, just a game away from the state playoffs.

This season, Union County’s varsity squad is made up of seniors Brooke Dockrey, Hill, McCarter, and Sarah Sanchez; junior Kyla Locklear; sophomores Riley Allison, Rebekah Chambers, Ansley Collins, Caley Davis, Hunter, and Emma Roxbury; and sophomores Ellie Cook, Kaylee Helton, and Corinne Hill.

If they are going to use speed as the foundation to get over the hump, its all going to start with Dockrey, who will run the point.

Last season, Dockrey led the team with 101 assists, while averaging 6.2 points per game. While some players would be looking to increase their scoring average, Dockrey seems intent on upping her assists.

“I’m going to be looking for more assists this season. It’s my job to control the floor and make sure everything runs smoother,” Dockrey said. “It’s not necessary for me to score; I have to make sure my teammates are scoring.”

When it comes to scoring, Dockrey has plenty of weapons at her disposal.

Sophomore Ava Hunter drives to the basket last week.

Hunter, who is the team’s most dangerous offensive player, led the team with 14.1 points per game as a freshman and seems capable of upping that number this season.

Of course being named the Freshman of the Year also means Hunter is likely to see a few more double – and triple – teams from opposing defenses.

When that happens, the Lady Panthers have strong options, including Hill and McCarter.

McCarter, who is still getting her basketball legs after the end of volleyball season, was second on the team with 10.1 points per game last season. She led the team by pulling down 7.7 rebounds per game. While she likes to play in the post, McCarter shot 39 percent from the 3-point line last season and said she plans to “keep shooting.”

“I like to play out on the wing sometimes, but I definitely don’t mind playing in the post,” McCarter said, adding that she believes the Lady Panthers “have it in us to go to state” this year.

Hill scored 9.9 points per game last season and shot 34 percent from beyond-the-arc.

She plans for both of those numbers to go up during her senior year.

“I’ve worked a whole lot since last year,” Hill said. “Every morning by six or seven, shooting as much as I can.”

What does she think its going to take to get back to state? Simple.

“We can get there by going as hard as we can – every pass, every shot, every practice, every rep – all season,” Hill said.

Dockrey echoed her fellow senior. “We’ve got to treat every game like it’s a championship.”

The goal for Union is the same as most teams: Win a region championship and go to the state playoffs.

But to win a region title in Region 8-AA means going through some stiff competition.

Rabun County went 28-2 overall last season, and went 14-0 on the way to the region title. The team lost four seniors off a team that reached the state quarterfinals. Two of those seniors, Brooke Hendricks and Georgia Stockton, were the team’s leading scorers in the playoffs last season.

Banks County (23-7, 10-4) reached the second round of the state playoffs as the No. 2 seed in 2018-19. They return seniors Heather Vaughn and Sadie Simpson, along with freshman Kamryn Grier. Vaughn is a sure-handed shooter, and Simpson (6-foot-2) and Grier (6-foot) are a tough matchup.

Both Putnam County (16-9, 9-5) and Monticello (15-14, 8-6) were first-round exits as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. Putnam County does return senior Jashanti Simmons, who put up 20.3 points per game last season, along with four other seniors.

The Lady Panthers’ pursuit of the playoffs will start on the road this season. The team’s first four games are out of town, beginning tonight, Nov. 19, at Towns County with tip set for 6 p.m.

After that, the team plays at Fannin County on Nov. 22, at North Hall on Nov. 25, and at White County on Nov. 26.

The Lady Panthers don’t play their home opener until Dec. 3, when Tallulah Falls comes to town.

Union County opens play in Region 8-AA on Dec. 13 against Elbert County at home.

For the Lady Panthers full 2019-20 season schedule, click here.