Lady Wildcats advance to state championship game

Texts between Paul Jones and me
about Laney's Aliyah Collier.

Monday's post was about Laney's boys and their state playoff semifinal loss to Morgan County. That splendid game was not the only basketball I watched Saturday.  On a happier note for Laney's fans, the Lady Wildcats that same day advanced to the state championship game with a 63-37 win over Decatur.

It is easy for me to understand why Saturday's semifinal game started somewhat sloppy.  The high stakes contest on Columbus State's court is an experience no coach can replicate for his players to rehearse before the day comes.  So jitters are likely partly to blame for the teams' trouble finishing seemingly easy opportunities around the basket.

But as you can see in the screen shots from texts traded between Paul Jones (a former player of mine who filmed the games in Columbus while I was in Clemson) and me, I would readily believe the activity exerted by Laney's Aliyah Collier (the #12 referred to in the text exchange) was as much the source of Decatur's inability to score as nerves were.

The Lady Wildcats head to Macon Saturday to compete for a state championship.  I expect Collier and her teammates will once again "leave it all on the floor," as they have all season long.