The Lady Greyhounds season was one of dreams.
27 wins.
A region tournament title. 26 wins in a row.
Rousing community support.
That season, however, did not have a storybook ending as Northview eliminated Jones County 57-40 in Friday night’s sweet 16 round of the GHSA Class 4A state tournament, ending the Lady Greyhounds season at 27-2.
JCHS trailed 25-15 at halftime as Northview’s lead grew to 42-24 through three quarters.
“At first, you go through the pain of losing. But as you reflect, the girls did a lot of historic things — 18-0 in the region, a 26-game winning streak, going 27-2. So, you don’t want to lose, but you also appreciate what they were able to do,” Greyhounds head coach Takeo Gray said. “We played some of our worst basketball, and it was against a good team. You hate that it happened but also have to appreciate the journey.”
Between Northview’s shooting from the perimeter and Jones County not getting as much going on offense, it added up to an earlier- than-desired end to the Lady Greyhounds’ season.
“We had looks; we just missed shots. They had a good gameplan and did a good job,” Gray said. “We left lots of points on the court; we had layups and open looks. It was a situation where we played a good team, and they capitalized on our mistakes. We couldn’t battle back.”
As a result, a somber mood set in within JCHS locker room.
“They were down. All I could tell them was, ‘I love them’ and that I would do it all over again with them,” Gray said.
Even in defeat, lessons were learned for the Lady Greyhounds, notably from the angle to post-season preparation. With so few non-region games available due to a schedule of 18 region contests, Gray said the goal is to seek out more opponents to help JCHS be ready for top-of-the-line postseason teams for a group whose graduating losses will include Mya Anderson and Kynnidi Houston.
“It taught us a lot for next year. In our seven non-region games, we want to play teams like Marist, Northview, North Oconee and Creekside. We want to get teams like that on the schedule and in our summer leagues,” Gray said. “That way, when the girls see these teams in the playoffs, we’ll be battletested and ready.”
Jones County advanced to Friday’s round after opening the postseason with Tuesday’s 55-39 win against Cedar Shoals. Kamiyah Adams had 12 points, 10 rebounds and six steals with Mya Anderson scoring 12 points to go with five assists as Liberty Pennamon added 10 points. Tuesday’s win was part of a late-season push in which a wave of support built up in Gray, both in the stands and in the community.
“The community was great, seeing how they all rallied around our girls with their support, it meant so much,” Gray said. “All the support, it reminded you of the 80s and 90s in Jones County. All the things that people did for our kids with pregame meals and encouragement, it was all surreal and special.”
