Lady Indians Top Hillgrove, Headed to Final Four

punched its ticket to the AAAAA Final Four with a 56-53 victory over intercity rival  on Saturday. But this was not before Lady Indian fans got enough drama to last a short lifetime.

Perhaps the most dramatic time in the game was when there was only 4.1 seconds left and McEachern led by one point, 54-53.

That's when Lady Indian sophomore Mia Cooper stepped to the charity stripe to attempt two free throws.

"I was just saying: 'God please let her hit both of these, and if not both, at least one," McEachern head coach Phyllis Arthur said.

The sophomore answered the first of her coach's prayers by nailing both shots, giving her team a more comfortable 56-53 lead. But the game still wasn't over.

Hillgrove had the ball with 4.1 seconds to score. The Lady Hawks quickly moved up court and put the ball into the hands of guard Celina Rodrigo. The senior then launched a 25-foot 3-pointer that went wide right.

Almost immediately, the celebrations began for McEachern. Arthur was thrilled that her team won with late free throws.

"I told the girls at halftime that free throws were going to be the key," she said after the game. "We missed several in the first half, and we were losing focus."

The Lady Indians recovered from a 61 percent performance in the first half by shooting 79 percent from the free throw line in the second, including 5-of-6 in the game's final two minutes.

McEachern led the entire second half, largely thanks to Dominique Wilson and Brittany Hodges. Hodges, who was limited to only two points in the first half, exploded for 11 in the latter half of the game.

"She was upset with herself in the first half," Arthur said. "I had to tell her, 'I believe in you. You can do it—just play your game.'"

As for Wilson, she scored eight points in the second half and was the Lady Indians leading scorer with 18.

Kayla Montgomery also had a solid game for McEachern. The junior center finished the night with 12 points.

Hillgrove's Larryqua Hall was the game's leading scorer with 21 points. Rodrigo, who was almost the hero for the Lady Hawks, added 12 to the team's cause.

McEachern's win was its third over Hillgrove (22-6) this season. The Lady Indians (24-6) are now headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2005.

Six years ago, McEachern lost to Redan in the state semifinals. This year, if they want to advance to the championship game, they'll have to get past Mill Creek (18-13). 

McEachern's Final Four game will tip off Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Gwinnett Arena. If the Lady Indians win that, they will move onto the state championship, set for Friday at 7 p.m.