Lady Rangers capture District title with gritty win over North Greene
Published 4:22 pm Tuesday, February 25, 2025
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Pictured from left to right, Lauren Lund, Kalli Sheppard and Brooklyn Campbell earned spots on the all-tournament team. Michelle Shields was named the tournament MVP.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Lady Rangers' Brooklyn Campbell (13) fires a three-pointer from the corner.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Brooklyn Campbell (13) fights for a rebound for the Lady Rangers.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Lady Rangers' Ariana Sutherland (22) launches a deep three.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Michelle Shields (3) looks for an open Lady Rangers teammate.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Lady Rangers coach Kenneth Chambers talks with his team during a timeout.
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Michelle Shields earns tournament MVP
By C.Y. Peters
Star Correspondent
BLOUNTVILLE – The Unaka Lady Rangers battled through a slow start and a late surge from North Greene to claim the District championship with a hard-fought 45-39 victory over the Lady Huskies.
The game opened with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Unaka did not score until the 3:33 mark in the first quarter when Kalli Sheppard drained a three-pointer—ironically giving the Lady Rangers the lead, as North Greene had only managed two points in the first five minutes. The teams traded baskets before Michelle Shields put Unaka ahead 11-9 to close the opening frame.
Freshman Brooklyn Campbell delivered a performance for the ages. She connected on a deep three-pointer to push Unaka’s lead to 19-13 and finished with four three-pointers on the night. Campbell also dominated the defensive boards, pulling down crucial rebounds and playing a vital role in limiting North Greene’s perimeter shooting alongside Katlyn Dugger. Most of the Huskies’ points came inside the paint, and their struggles at the free-throw line proved costly.
Lauren Lund extended Unaka’s lead to 22-16 with a clutch three-pointer, but North Greene’s Mikaela Johnson answered at the buzzer to trim the deficit to 22-19 heading into halftime.
As the third quarter wound down, Campbell responded in dramatic fashion, drilling a long-range three to give the Lady Rangers a commanding 37-26 lead. To start the fourth quarter, Lund nailed another deep shot, giving Unaka its largest lead of the night at 40-28 with 5:30 remaining.
The Lady Huskies mounted a late rally, cutting the deficit to five points. However, with just 50 seconds left on the clock, Sheppard stepped up once more, sinking a deep 35-footer to seal the championship for Unaka.
“Good all-around effort. Players stepped up at different times, and four of them made the All-Tournament team,” said Coach Chambers. “I told them to go play like they can, play like a team, and they did.”
North Greene’s league MVP, Hannah Miller, led the Huskies with 17 points, while junior Ellie Head contributed 12. Shields paced Unaka with 18 points, and Campbell followed with 12.
Shields was named the tournament MVP, with Campbell, Sheppard, and Lund also earning spots on the All-Tournament team. In regular-season play, Dugger, Sheppard, Shields, and Campbell were recognized with All-Conference honors.
Unaka’s first conference title since 2005. Chambers won back-to-back district titles in 2004 and 2005. Unaka’s last regional title was in 2018. Tonight’s win gave Unaka a bye and will play Monday night at West Ridge in the regional.
Unaka 45, North Greene 39
Unaka 11 11 15 8 -45
North Greene 9 10 7 13 -39
Unaka: Shields 18, Campbell 12, Lund 6, Sheppard 9
North Greene: Miller 17, Head 12, Medevitt 4, Buchanan 4, Blevins 2
