Grovetown is headed to the Final Four of the Georgia High School 6A State Playoffs after defeating Wheeler 82-76 in overtime on Tuesday, March 1.
This marks the first time a Columbia County high school basketball team, boys or girls, has ever made the Final Four.
“We still have to get two,” said Grovetown Coach Darren Douglas. “I am not interested in a Final Four, I am interested in a ring. It’s cool that were here, but I am interested in a ring. Let’s win Saturday, lets win next Friday.”
Wheeler started the game with a 5-0 run early in the first quarter. Grovetown continued to do what they did all year and fought back tie the game 7-7.
The Warriors gained the lead with three minutes to go in the first quarter after a layup by Derrion Reid. Juvon Gamory tied the game with a three at the end of first quarter, making the score 19-19.
Gamory led his team in the first half with seven made threes and 25 points, giving the Wildcats the 40-36 lead after two quarters.
Wheeler extended their lead to 12 points, going on at 10-2 run to start the third quarter and pushing the score to 50-38. Gamory would not score for the Wildcat, they would be led by center Arriten Page in the third quarter with 10 points.
After being down 56-47 to start the fourth quarter, Grovetown went on an 9-3 run of its own, putting the Warriors only down three points. Markel Freeman hit the go ahead with under four minutes to go in the fourth, making the score 65-64.
The lead changed hands two more times before Wheeler called timeout with the ball and 9.7 seconds remaining. Page grabbed the offensive board and made the layup at the buzzer, but the referees said the shot was not up and time and no basket, so the game headed to overtime 69-69.
Malik Ferguson gave the Warriors a 75-73 lead with and-one layup with one minute remaining in the game. Ferguson and Frankquon Sherman converted there free throws down the stretch, giving the Warriors the win and advancing them to the Final Four.
Douglas says was never in doubt in his team to win the game.
“Just believe,” he said. “We have been believing all year, just keep believing and then when we came out into the fourth, I said if we can get to five within two minutes then will win the game. We got within five in a few seconds and cut the lead real quickly, and at that point, I just knew.”
Ferguson led the Warriors with 20 points, followed by Sherman with 19. Freeman finished with 14 points and Reid also had double figures with 13 points. The Warriors shot 21-29 from the free throw line, while the Wildcats went 10-20.
Grovetown will now head to the Final Four to play at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., to face the winner of Kell and Sequoyah. The game will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 5.
