MACON --- Laney's ball-handlers eyed Buford's snarling defense and consistently chose a method to attack it that produced disastrous outcomes. They lobbed passes to one another and floating the ball as if it were a balloon pumped full of helium. Buford regularly snatched these passes out of the air before zooming toward the basket for easy points.
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Laney's turnover problems and inability to score against a well-coached defensive team once again ended its season in the Class AA girls basketball state semifinals. This time it was closer -- Buford won 62-49 Thursday at the Macon Centreplex, a year after dominating Laney by 26 points in the semifinals -- but the stinging result was the same: the Lady Wildcats exited the court a silent bunch, sliding back to the locker room. The Lady Wolves will shoot for their second consecutive state title on Saturday against unbeaten Vidalia, which knocked off Greater Atlanta Christian.
Laney coach Otis Smart insisted his team had chances to win, but those opportunities seemed few.
Buford led by at least 12 points the entire fourth quarter and responded swiftly to Laney's one second-half challenge.
The Lady Wildcats nailed consecutive 3-pointers to pull within five points with five minutes left in the third quarter. Buford then scored the next 10 points, starting with a beautifully crafted play out of a timeout that produced a wide-open 3-point attempt from the right corner. The shot splashed through the net.
"We should have won the game, we just turned the ball over too much in the first quarter of the game," Smart said. "Turnovers killed us, turnovers killed us. ... We did alright, we just never should have turned the ball over as many times as we did."
Said Buford coach Gene Durden, "I was hoping they would keep trying to throw the lob over the press."
Laney junior Mykala Jones scored the game's final five points, hit six 3-pointers and led Laney with 22 points. The Lady Wildcats, who had no other player in double-figure scoring, finished with nine 3-pointers, but Buford refused to allow that shooting display affect the game's outcome. Instead, piles of turnovers did.
"They were tall, they were quick ... they just kept coming at us," Jones said. "They made us come to them with the ball."
Buford (28-4) was just as potent in its halfcourt defense and also had Laney impeccably scouted.
The Lady Wolves forced the left-handed Jones to go to the right, denied entry passes into the 6-foot-3 post Chelsea Maultsby (four points) and changed defenses to disrupt rhythm. Durden said he wanted to keep the Lady Wildcats off balance with a mix of fullcourt defenses, then fall back into a stern man-to-man that often trapped unsuspecting Wildcats.
The 49 points were the second-fewest Laney scored in 30 games this season.
"One of our foundations is halfcourt defense," said Durden, a 1983 Edmund Burke Academy graduate. "When we get back, we're just going to dig in. We knew Laney had a lot of weapons (and) shot the ball really well. So we told the kids: we're going to make them shoot on the move and do things they're uncomfortable with."
Laney (26-4) loses only one player from this team, but next year's group can probably count on seeing Buford here again.
"We just have to stay focused and work hard," said Laney junior Dekoya Mack, one of four starters who will return.
Congratulation on another super season, but in order to win a state championship you have to make sudle changes whether it's on offense or defense or both especially if the talent is equal, Laney fall short each year because this never happens.
You lady wildcats,should walk proud with your heads up.I envisioned you guys losing earlier.You proved a lot of people wrong including myself.I am man enough to say i was wrong.What a gutsy performance.You guys are returning 4 starters,look forward to next year and you guys may win that elusive championship.It turns out the lady rebels was the only overrated team in augusta.Ashley Watts and Mykala Jones are definitely the players to watch out for in 2011.good job ladies.
Just be honest, ok i will be honest if you don't know basketball do yourself a favor and chill out.Laney played their hearts out and came up a little short.Two seasons ago it was'nt even close, this year it was very close.Next year their experience will take them all the way.I don't know what sudle is maybe you mean subtle but,9 times out of 10 if you can't spell it you can't call it either.Take a hint Dog!!!!!!!
Laney can't seem to win the big game. Like H-TOWN!
Kudos to the Lady Wildcats you ran a good race but fell short. We live and learn keep that in mind for next season. Stay strong hold your heads up high you accomplished a lot this year.
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