Valdosta -The Turner County Rebels spent the early part of Saturday afternoon watching their classmates win their semifinal game to advance to the girl state championship game. They were hoping to match their accomplishment by also advancing to the championship game. Despite a valiant effort and a hectic finish at the end, the Rebels came up just short, losing 68-66 in a thriller late Saturday night to Hancock Central at Valdosta State.
Teammates from Turner County gather as they prepared to play. Photo: Jessica Peters/SGSN
“We certainly had our chances,” said coach Shedric Office. “We made a great comeback at the end. But give credit to Hancock Central and their team. They made one more play than we did.”
In a back and forth first half, the Rebels found themselves trailing 32-31 at halftime. Hancock Central built a double digit lead but the Rebels stayed within striking distance. Down 6 with thirty seconds left, senior DeAndre Pierce hit two three pointers in the following two possessions to tie the game. But Hancock Central scored with less than five seconds left to go ahead by two. The Rebels had a late look but were unable to get a decent shot off. It was a heartbreaking end to the season for the Rebels.
“Our kids played hard and never gave up. I couldn’t be any prouder of the effort they gave not only tonight but throughout the year. We started out a little slow this year but started playing better around the Christmas tournament and entered postseason play on a hot streak. ” said Office.
Tamorrion Terry closed out a phenomenal junior season with 29 points and 14 rebounds. Pierce closed out his Rebel career with 15 points. They end the season with a record of 23-7.
This senior class has advanced to the Elite 8 their freshman year, the championship game their sophomore year, the Elite 8 their junior year, and the Final Four this year. Ced Leggett, Briand Wynn, Lorenzo Bolden, and DeAndre Pierce are to be congratulated on their accomplishments not only in basketball but other sports as well.