West Rowan wins back-to-back 3A girls basketball titles with win over Terry Sanford
It’s not about how you start, but how you finish.
No. 2 West Rowan never led until the fourth quarter, but their strong play in the final eight minutes was enough to give the Falcons a 64-52 win over No. 3 Terry Sanford and their second straight state title.
- Box Score: West Rowan 64, Terry Sanford 52
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The Falcons finished the season 31-1 and got there by overcoming a slow first half and getting stronger as the game went along.
“I’m just really happy for these kids,” West Rowan head coach Ashley Poole said. “They worked hard, found a way to win. Just really proud of them.”
West Rowan outscored Terry Sanford (26-6) 23-14 in the fourth quarter.
After taking a three-point lead late, the Falcons hit three of their next four shots from the floor to go up nine. Terry Sanford guard Breonna Roaf made it a seven-point game with a layup, but the Falcons were solid at the line down the stretch, hitting five free throws in the final minute to win it.
Lauren Anrold was named the game's Most Outstanding Player, finishing with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Her teammate Emma Clarke also finished with a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) and was named the Most Outstanding Player for the West. Roaf (18 points) was named the Most Outstanding Player for the East.
West Rowan didn’t get its first lead until the third quarter, when Lauren Arnold put the Falcons up one (38-37) with a free throw. At the end of the quarter Makayla Tenor hit her first three of the game, giving West Rowan its largest lead of the day.
Arnold started the fourth with an old-fashioned three-point play, pushing the lead to four and a change in momentum.
“I knew right then (when West Rowan took the lead) we were going to make a run,” Clarke said. “I know my teammates and once we hit that point we were good to go.”
Roaf scored four in a row to tie the game at 44, but Arnold was just heating up, hitting a baseline jumper to push the Falcons’ lead back to two with 5:36 remaining.
The Bulldogs briefly retook the lead with 5:13 remaining in the game, but finished the game 1-for-6 from the floor. During that same stretch Clarke hit a jumper followed by a layup from Arnold. After a timeout, West Rowan came back on the floor and five straight from sophomore Tiara Thompson (18 points).
Thompson also went 4-for-4 from the line in the final minute of the game. The trio of Thompson, Clarke and Thompson combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Terry Sanford led by two at the break and Poole’s halftime speech was simple.
“We just talked about rebounding,” she said.
The Falcons won the rebounding war by a 49-31 advantage.
“That matters,” Bulldogs’ head coach Chirstopher Goodman said. “The team that wins the turnover battle and rebounding battle usually comes out on top. We won the turnover battle, but they had some costly putbacks that hurt us.”
The Bulldogs finished with two players in double figures, Roaf and Ameya Brown (17 points) and head coach Goodman said he was proud of his bunch.
“We did some special things this year,” Goodman said. “It didn’t end how we wanted it to end, but I’m super proud of them.”
After a tight game for three quarters, Poole was able to sit her starters in the final minute and let them soak up their second straight title.
For Clarke it was different this season. Last year she fouled out the title game.
“To end it on the bench with my teammates, without fouling out, was so much better,” Clarke joked. “To hug those girls, to take time to just say we did it. It’s just awesome.”
Box Score: West Rowan 64, Terry Sanford 52
West Rowan: Tiara Thompson 18, Lauren Arnold 17 (17 rebounds), Emma Clarke 13 (12 rebounds), Demya Phifer 6, Makayla Taylor 5, Mya Edwards 3, Lydia Wilson 2.
Terry Sanford: Breonna Roaf 18, Ameya Brown 17, Jaidiah Blake 9, Rebecca Kaba 4, Taleah Meadows 2, Amya Harringon 2.
