The way you end something is more important than how you begin.

West Rowan, ranked 2nd, did not take the lead until the fourth quarter, but their impressive performance in the last eight minutes secured a 64-52 victory against Terry Sanford, ranked 3rd. This marks the Falcons’ second consecutive state championship.

The Falcons ended the season with a record of 31-1, persevering through a sluggish start and growing stronger as the game progressed.

“Coach Ashley Poole expressed her joy for the kids, stating that they worked diligently and found a way to secure a victory. She was immensely proud of their effort.”

In the final quarter, West Rowan scored 23 points while Terry Sanford only scored 14, resulting in a 26-6 victory.

The Falcons went ahead by three points towards the end and then successfully made three out of their next four shot attempts, putting them up by nine. Breonna Roaf, guard for Terry Sanford, scored a layup narrowing the lead to seven points, however, the Falcons maintained their steady performance at the line and scored five free throws in the last minute, securing their victory.

Lauren Anrold was awarded the title of Most Outstanding Player for the game, recording 17 points and 17 rebounds. Emma Clarke, her teammate, also achieved a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds and was granted the Most Outstanding Player award for the West team. Roaf, who scored 18 points, was deemed the Most Outstanding Player for the East team.

West Rowan did not take the lead until the third quarter, thanks to a free throw from Lauren Arnold. Makayla Tenor then made her first three-pointer of the game, giving West Rowan its biggest lead of the day.

Arnold began the fourth quarter by successfully converting a traditional three-point play, increasing the lead by four points and causing a shift in momentum.

“I had a feeling as soon as West Rowan gained the lead, that we would go on a strong offensive push,” remarked Clarke. “I have confidence in my teammates, and once we reached that point, we knew we were ready.”

Roaf made four consecutive scores to even the score at 44, but Arnold was gaining momentum and made a jumper near the baseline to increase the Falcons’ advantage to two points with 5:36 left.

Near the end of the game, the Bulldogs temporarily regained the advantage, but ultimately struggled with a 1-for-6 shooting record. In that same timeframe, Clarke made a jumper and Arnold made a layup. Following a timeout, West Rowan returned to the court and Thompson, a sophomore, scored five consecutive points (totaling 18 points).

Additionally, Thompson made all four of his free throw attempts in the last 60 seconds of the game. The group of Thompson, Clarke, and Thompson together contributed a total of 20 points in the fourth quarter.

At the end of the first half, Terry Sanford was ahead by two points. Poole’s speech during halftime was brief and straightforward.

“We just had a conversation about retrieving missed shots,” she stated.

The Falcons dominated the battle for rebounds with a final score of 49-31.

Bulldogs’ head coach Christopher Goodman stated that it is important to win both the turnover and rebounding battles in order to come out victorious. While they were successful in the turnover battle, the opposition’s costly putbacks affected their performance.

The Bulldogs had two players, Roaf and Ameya Brown (17 points), reach double-digit scoring. Head coach Goodman expressed pride in his team’s performance.

“This year, we accomplished some extraordinary feats,” stated Goodman. “Although the outcome may not have been exactly as we hoped, I am incredibly proud of my team.”

Following a close game for the first three quarters, Poole was able to rest her main players in the last minute and allow them to enjoy their consecutive championship win.

This season, Clarke’s experience was unique. In the previous year, she was expelled from the title game due to fouls.

“It was great to finish the game on the bench with my teammates without committing any fouls,” Clarke joked. “To embrace my teammates and take a moment to acknowledge our victory. It’s truly amazing.”

The score for the game was West Rowan 64, Terry Sanford 52.

The West Rowan basketball team had a strong game, with Tiara Thompson scoring 18 points and Lauren Arnold grabbing 17 rebounds. Emma Clarke also had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Demya Phifer, Makayla Taylor, Mya Edwards, and Lydia Wilson also contributed to the team’s overall score.

Terry Sanford’s top scorers were Breonna Roaf with 18 points, Ameya Brown with 17 points, Jaidiah Blake with 9 points, Rebecca Kaba with 4 points, Taleah Meadows with 2 points, and Amya Harrington with 2 points.

Source: highschoolot.com