Despite being outplayed for much of the game, the East Marion Lady Eagles advanced to the Region 8-2A title game with a gutsy win over St. Patrick in the semifinals.
The Lady Eagles (8-7, 6-3) shot just 26% from the field (16-of-61), 20% from behind the arc (3-of-15) and committed 13 turnovers but managed to step up when it mattered most to hold on for a 43-42 victory over the Lady Irish.
East Marion head coach Calvin Brown said he was really proud of how the Lady Eagles managed to find a way to win in such an ugly game.
“One, they were much more prepared than us. Two, we got outcoached. They executed better than we did. They shot better than we did. It just speaks to how amazing our kids are. I thought we just had so much heart and so much character,” he said. “Any time you win a game that close on two consecutive defensive stops with a freshman and an eighth grader on the floor and your best defensive player out with (calf) cramps, that just makes me proud of the kids. I think they just found something within themselves that wouldn’t allow them to lose.”
Destiny Brown paced East Marion with 15 points despite missing 21 shots and connecting on just 19% (5-of-26 from the field and 3-of-13 from deep). The star point guard still stuffed the stat sheet to cancel out the poor shooting night with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Freshman Ellen Porter continued her recent hot streak with 11 points, while Lia Smith had eight points, nine rebounds and three steals. Dyani Weary added seven points, nine boards and three steals.
East Marion played North Forrest in the district title game Thursday night, but results were unavailable at press time. Prior to the game, Brown said the Lady Eagles just need to step up and play better because North Forrest doesn’t have a clear weakness they can exploit. On top of that, he added the Lady Eagles don’t have any identifiable strength they can turn to.
“One possession at a time, we just have to outplay them,” he said.
