Moving on! Lady Panthers advance to the Class AA quarterfinals

For the first time in nearly two decades, the Union Co. Lady Panthers are back in the Class AA state playoff quarterfinals after a dominating 61-37 win against Butler in the second round Wednesday, Feb. 19, in Blairsville.

As usual, Union Co. (23-6) used a high-pressure, full-court defense to spark a run early and never looked back on the way to the victory.

Head coach Crystal Beach said after the game that she felt her team is playing the best it has all season

“I think that we are (playing our best). Of course, as coaches, we always try to see little things we can do better,” Beach said. “But that’s what you want to happen at this point in the season. You’re playing your best ball, making the adjustment, having your team make the adjustments and execute, that’s what leads to beating great teams like we did tonight. They’re a great, great team over there. (We) have a lot of respect for them.”

With the win, the Lady Panthers secured their spot in the quarterfinals. Due to a universal coin flip made by the Georgia High School Association earlier this week, the top team in the bracket, when teams with like seedings meet, will be the home team in the quarterfinals. As such, the Region 8-AA champion Lady Panthers will be the home team when they face Region 1-AA champion Early Co. (25-4) on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. The Lady Bobcats will have to make the 300-mile trip north from Blakely to take on the Lady Panthers after defeating Chattooga 64-45 in the second round Thursday, Feb. 20.

“Any time you can play at home in the state tournament is a huge deal,” Beach said of winning the coin flip. “Playing in front of a home crowd means something to our girls, and they played like that tonight.”

While the Lady Panthers started the game on a 6-0 run and never trailed, visiting Butler (19-10) went on a 6-0 run of their own at the end of the first quarter and startof the second to close the gap to 15-14 less than a minute into the second period.

Then Union Co.’s defense took over, forcing multiple turnovers and sparking the offense to a 16-2 run to end the first half.

Sophomore Ava Hunter and senior Kait McCarter each had six points in the second to lead the Lady Panthers.

Hunter finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

McCarter finished with a double-double: 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The second half proved more of the same as the Lady Panthers, sparked by a 3-pointer from senior Andelin Hill to start the frame, stretched the run to 25-2 before Butler finally managed to get on the board and make the margin 40-18 with 4 minutes and 35 seconds left in the third.

Hill finished with 11 points, including two made 3-pointers.

Senior Brooke Dockrey scored six points in the third and finished the night with eight points overall. Dockrey added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the win.

Freshman Ellie Cook scored six points, all in the first half, from her starting guard role, while fellow freshman Corinne Hill managed to hit a lay-up late in the game to round out the scoring for Union Co.

For more pictures from Union Co. second-round game with Butler, click here.