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  • Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen Lady Bruins Baieigh Coley, from left, Emily Trew and Christy Robinson and Brook Everett react minutes before the end of the game against Southwest DeKalb. The team’s season ended in a 65-45 loss.

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March 13, 2010

Great year, bad ending

Lady Bruins fall in state title game

Larry Fleming Dalton Daily Citizen

DALTON — DULUTH — Northwest Whitfield took a two-decade leap through time Friday, but the basketball gods had the same message for the Lady Bruins — not this year.

Playing in their first title game since 1990, the Lady Bruins were victimized by Southwest DeKalb’s powerful Lady Panthers, 65-45, in the girls Class 4A state championship game at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

In 1990, Northwest lost to Hart County, 59-49, in the Class 3A state title game at Georgia Tech.

Southwest turned an anticipated barn-burner between two outstanding teams into a beat-down to capture its third consecutive state title under coach Kathy Richey-Walton, who has been at the school since 2002.

The Lady Panthers (27-4) jumped to a stunning 14-0 first-quarter lead and killed any chance Northwest had to claim its first state basketball championship. Kaya Lewis, a University of Florida signee, scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the first quarter and Southwest led, 25-10 after just eight minutes of play.

“We tried to battle back, but it was such a big deficit we just couldn’t do it,” Lady Bruins coach Margaret Stockburger said after a 20-minute session with her team in the locker room. “Southwest DeKalb was just the better team today, but we’re a good team too.”

Northwest, which was ranked No. 1 in the GaSports.com coaches poll at one time during the season and had won 28 of 29 games going into Friday’s title showdown, finished 29-4. The 29 victories is a school record.



 

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