The Lady Tigers hosted Luella in the first round of state and coasted to a 69-49 win at home Saturday night.
The victory came at a cost as Lady Tiger Camille Jackson sat out for most of the game after she injured her ankle. LaNiqua Fowler also took time off the court while getting her foot taped by athletic trainer John Murat.
"One thing we’ve been talking about all year is trying to rotate as deep as we can in our bench because you never know when an injury is going to occur," Lady Tiger coach Faye Baker said. "It’s good that we have players we can bring in and not lose a beat."
Coming off the bench, the coach said Latisha Frasier did an excellent job with defensive intensity and her quickness.
Lady Tiger Seandre Lee led the scores with 27 and Mariah Maternik scored 20, including 2 from the 3-point line.
"It was a collective effort and I thought we did a good job running the floor," the coach said.
Baker said she was especially pleased with her team’s rebounds.
"We really controlled the boards and that is one of the things we talked about," she said. "Going after every loose ball, every rebound and playing hard because at this point you either win or go home and we want to leave it all out on the floor. I thought they did that tonight."The win means the girls host Riverdale tonight. Baker and the girls have played Riverdale in the past. This season the teams met during the Macon Christmas Tournament where the Lady Tigers took a 62-47 win against the Lady Raiders.
"They are going to be playing better," the coach said. "But at least we do know a little bit about what they do. They are a familiar foe."
Tip-off is at 6 tonight.