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  • Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen Jordi Cook, left, and Quaneisha McCurty celebrate their victory just before the buzzer sounded on their win against Dutchtown Wednesday afternoon in Duluth. The Northwest Lady Bruins will play in the state championship game Friday.

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March 11, 2010

Lady Bruins eye state basketball title

Larry Fleming larryfleming@daltoncitizen.com

DULUTH — Fifty-seven seconds remained in Wednesday’s Class 4A girls state basketball tournament semifinal at the Arena at the Gwinnett Center.

Northwest Whitfield posts Quaneisha McCurty, a junior, and Christy Robinson, a senior, had done their damage to Dutchtown with 19 and nine points, respectively, and were pulled for substitutes.

And with a substantial lead and a berth in Friday’s championship game already locked up, it was time to turn loose the emotions.

“Oh, my gosh,” McCurty said. “I was so excited at that moment and the hug (Lady Bruins coach Margaret Stockburger) gave both of us was just awesome. We knew the game was in the bag.”

The Lady Bruins went on to win, 75-56, behind a career-high 27 points from senior guard Jordi Cook and will play Southwest DeKalb at 3 p.m. on Friday in Duluth for the state title. It’s the team’s first appearance in a state championship game since 1990.

Stockburger also took out her other starters — Cook, Baleigh Coley and Emily Trew — to standing ovations and a bear hug from the coach.

“There were tears, happy tears, over there on the sideline,” Stockburger said. “I had a hug for every one of those girls. I know how hard they’ve worked to reach this point.”

An estimated 600 to 700 Northwest fans made the trip from Tunnel Hill to support the Lady Bruins, and football coach and athletic director Mike Falleur, plus a couple of his assistant coaches, turned into cheerleaders even before the game started.

“The crowd was just sitting there,” Falleur said, “so we had to get them going.”

Northwest’s crowd overwhelmed Dutchtown’s much smaller turnout.

“That’s not a surprise,” Falleur said. “Not with these Northwest folks. They’re very unselfish with their support of our players. And they’ll be back Friday, too.”

Northwest’s students seemed to have those plans in order near the end of the game — they began chanting “No school Friday!” once the outcome was all but certain.

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