news
Sports Editor
Aberdeen girls basketball coach Cloyd Garth was adamant that his team was the best team in Mississippi.
Following a state semifinals loss, 62-48, to Raymond last week, Garth had this to say about his team.
"When you go back and replay the game over in your mind, and I'll say it with all honesty, the Aberdeen Lady Bulldogs, no doubt in my mind, was the better team," Garth said. "They're the best 3A girls team in the state, bar none."
Raymond has beaten Aberdeen for three straight seasons in the tournament, the previous two times in the opening round. This was the first time the Lady Bulldogs had ever been to the semifinals.
"We took another step," said senior point guard Sally Davis. "I think we should have beat them, but the free throws killed us."
True. Aberdeen hit only 4 of 20 from the free throw line.
When the lead went to 56-42 in the fourth period, junior guard Dayana McGee said she was still confident the team could climb back in it. Without naming names though, she wasn't so sure about some of her teammates.
"Some people kind of gave up, I feel," she said. "There were plenty of games we've come back from 20 or 30 points in a matter of four minutes on defense. In my heart, I felt like we could have came back.