Lady Grizzlies' Tournament Run Ends with Overtime Loss

The tears on the bench said it all: the Lady Grizzlies season was over. The Region 7-AAAA champions bid for a state quarterfinal berth was halted in the Sweet 16 Tuesday when Miller Grove outlasted the Lady Grizzlies in overtime 57-52. 

Lady Grizzlies head coach Roger Nolan tried to console his team after the game, "I told the girls that unless you win the state championship, the season ends up like this [with a loss]."

Creekview's trademark in 23 wins this season had been its suffocating defense and the defense came out and did its job. The Lady Grizzlies held Miller Grove to only 15 first-half points, however, the Creekview offense also struggled and the Lady Grizzlies trailed at the break 15-13. 

Creekview looked to be in control of the game late as the Lady Grizzlies led 41-36 – their largest lead of the game – with only 3:06 left in the fourth, but the offense went cold. Over the game's final 7:06 – which included the four-minute overtime period -- the Lady Grizzlies were only able to muster one field goal. However, that one field goal was a huge one, it was an Alyssa Nichelson 3-pointer with nine seconds left in the fourth that tied the game at 48 and eventually sent it to overtime.

Miller Grove coach Renee Breedlove liked her team's chances of winning in overtime, "Once we went into overtime, I told the girls 'this is ours,'" Breedlove says.

Miller Grove scored the first six points of extra period and Creekview was never able to catch up.

A big reason Miller Grove is moving on is because of Megan Nelson, the senior scored 11 of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. Nelson's fourth quarter output was especially impressive when you consider that Miller Grove only scored 15 points in the entire first half. Tabitha Fudge and Tashi Thompson also reached double digits for the Lady Wolverines, scoring 14 and 11 points, respectively.

For Creekview (23-7), sophomore Hannah Hunter led the way in the scoring department with 16 points. Emma Cook added 12, including an 8-of-10 showing from the free-throw line. As a team, Creekview was 21-of-28 from the charity stripe. Alyssa Nichelson – who was almost the game's hero with her fourth quarter 3-pointer – finished her night with 11 ponts.

Miller Grove is now headed for the state quarterfinals where they'll meet up with state No. 1 Douglas County. That game will be held at the University of West Georgia and will tip off at 4 p.m. The last time the Lady Wolverines played a team ranked No. 1 in the state, they upset previous No. 1 Chamblee 43-41 in the quarterfinals of the region tournament.