Nausia Woolfolk's 44 points lifts Peach County into the quarterfinals
FORT VALLEY -- Ringgold came all the way from near the Tennessee border, about 210 miles, for its GHSA Class AAA Tournament girls second-round game Friday.
And the Tigers, ranked eighth in the final regular-season Score Atlanta rankings, made No. 10 Peach County play their game for much of the evening. But Ringgold had nobody who could play Nausia Woolfolk's game.
The Florida State-bound guard and reigning All-Middle Georgia Girls Player of the Year scored 44 points to lead Peach County to a 61-48 win.
Ringgold brought a patient, disciplined and fundament game to town and sent a message early with a few four-point leads before Peach County got rolling. But the Trojans didn't roll very long or very often. A seven-point second-quarter lead dropped to one at halftime. And the Tigers went on top three times in the third quarter.
The Peach County lead was two entering the fourth quarter, thanks to Illeha Pickens' bucket off a feed from Danasia Shaw with less than five seconds left. A 3 from Rachel Thomas pulled Ringgold to within 49-48 with 2:19 left, but the Trojans and Woolfolk stepped up on defense while finishing things off.
FOUR WHO MATTERED
Woolfolk: She had 19 points in the first half and 25 in the second, adding five steals and four rebounds.
Bethany Headrick and Thomas: The pair had 15 points each, combining for 62.5 percent of the Tigers' points.
Shaw: The freshman had only four points but led the Trojans with four assists and had four offensive rebounds.
THE TURNING POINT
Peach County, which was tentative and fairly flat-footed all night on both ends of the court, led 47-45 after Woolfolk's pullup midway through the fourth quarter. Pickens, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, came up with steals on consecutive Ringgold possessions to keep the Tigers from tying it or taking the lead. Peach County scored after the first one but gave the second one back. The teams exchanged a few turnovers after that, which helped Peach County, because the clock kept running.
OBSERVATIONS
The line was unfriendly: Like pretty much every team in America, Peach County (26-2) spends plenty of time practicing free throws. As is often the case, that doesn't show in a game. The Trojans were 11-for-25, and Woolfolk was surprisingly the biggest culprit with a 7-for-16 night.
Out of sync: Ringgold was feisty, despite lacking Peach County's height and athleticism. The Tigers showcased superb passing, aided by a slow-reacting Peach County defense. But the Trojans were able to take advantage of the Tigers scoring only once in the final six minutes and eight possessions.
WORTH NOTING
A new feeling: Peach County felt joy and relief, because it was more than just a playoff win. It's the first time since 2008-09 that the Trojans, who have had several 20-win teams in the interim, have gotten past the second round.
THEY SAID IT
Peach County head coach Maxine Cherry on the question of when the next team free-throw shooting session was: "Shoot. Oh, Lord. We shoot them things every day. Every day. Every day. I guess we gotta shoot more."
Woolfolk on the rough night at the line: "I wasn't expecting to be that tired."
Cherry on playing Ringgold's game: "We knew they were fundamentally sound, and all they were going to do was pass around the perimeter and get you off. ... We knew they were going to play man. We got out there, and we stand out there, watching one person dribble, nobody moving."
Woolfoolk on what Peach County opponents were as solid fundamentally as Ringgold: "Nobody."
Woolfolk on advancing: "Everybody doubted us, because when it comes to the second round, we always get put out. I feel great that we got past it. It's a big accomplishment."
WHATS NEXT?
Peach County plays Johnson, a 41-31 winner over Haralson County at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Augusta.
This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 9:51 PM with the headline "Nausia Woolfolk's 44 points lifts Peach County into the quarterfinals ."