It wasn’t pretty. But 20 years with the Cross Creek girls basketball program has taught coach Kim Schlein it doesn’t always have to be pretty to get the job done.
The Lady Backs defeated Morgan County 44-40 in a nip-and-tuck, physical 32 minutes of basketball for the Region 4-AAA championship Friday. It was Cross Creek’s fifth straight region crown, and the eighth one overall since Schlein has been pacing the sidelines.
Still, ever in coach mode, even when asked to talk about the heft of that achievement, Schlein couldn’t help but wax analytical about her team’s most recent performance.
“We didn’t make it easy tonight,” Schlein said moments after Friday’s win. “But the kids are working hard. Trying to stay focused. We had some ball handling issues and some offensive issues going on. But the seniors we have are really wanting it.”
For Schlein, that’s always what it boils down to — the players on the court who help the coaches get it done.
Schlein has six seniors on this year’s squad. Two of them, Morgan State-bound point guard Michaela Bogans and Tahjae Hawes, are two of the best players in the state in Class AAA.
Down the game’s stretch it was Bogans, Hawes, fellow senior Alaya Henry and junior JaNya Wiley who made some clutch plays both on offense and defense to help salt the game away. And as much as Schlein would’ve wanted a little bit more breathing room Friday night, she also said she enjoys watching her playmakers rise up in high-pressure moments.
“I’m just blessed to have athletes to have helped make [the region championships] happen,” she said. “Five in a row is great. Eight in the 20 years I’ve been here is great. But they make it happen.”
To be sure, Morgan County did its part to make region title No. 5 difficult. The Bulldogs, who played Cross Creek closer in the regular season than any other region foe, took the fight to Cross Creek all night.
“They’re long. Very aggressive,” Schlein said. “And they’ve got a couple of nice shooters and some athletes. We didn’t play our best, but we came out on top. That’s what’s important.”
Now, the attention shifts to the Class AAA state tournament, and Bogans and Hawes’ quest to give their coach another state championship while leaving high school ball with another ring of their own.
Bogans helped lead Cross Creek to a Class AAA state championship back in 2021. When she had her signing ceremony just before Christmas, Bogans minced no words about how much she wanted to win another one.
Schlein says she’s actually glad that Cross Creek’s last game before jumping into state tournament play was a hard-fought, physical one. It helps her bunch get primed for a deeper postseason run.
Cross Creek’s first round state tournament matchup will be hosting Thomasville (11-17), a No. 4 seed out of Region 1-AAA. But if the Lady Backs keep advancing, they could run into powerhouse programs like Wesleyan (22-3) and Hebron Christian (25-2) — teams considered among the best in Georgia regardless of classification.
“We definitely needed that kind of tough game going into state because we know it’s not going to get any easier from here on out,” Schlein said. “So having that test against Morgan County and knowing that we can come from behind and get a lead and hold on to it, I think that’s going to be valuable for us in the long run.
It also won’t hurt that the coach wants to win another ring as much as her senior leaders do.
“It’s bittersweet knowing we’re getting close to the end with them, and I want to go out on a good note with these young ladies,” she said. “It’s special and heart felt with them right now.”
