Heartbreaker in the regional championship: Unaka falls to North Greene 44-42
Published 12:03 pm Thursday, March 6, 2025
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent The Unaka Lady Rangers finished as the runner-up in the regional championship.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka's Michelle Shields (3) shoots a jumper in the paint.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka's Michelle Shields (3) goes under the outstretched arm of a defender for a layup.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka's Keyona Hague (40) goes up strong in the paint.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka's Michelle Shields (3) drives in for a contested layup.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka's Ariana Sutherland (12) puts up a shot over the outstretched hand of a defender.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Carter County players earned all-tournament honors. Pictured from left to right are Cloudland’s McKinna Shell and Unaka’s Lauren Lund, Brooklyn Campbell, and Michelle Shields.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By C.Y. Peters
Star Correspondent
The Unaka Lady Rangers faced heartbreak in the regional championship game, falling to North Greene 44-42 in a nail-biting finish. After defeating the Lady Huskies in the district championship, the Lady Rangers had high hopes of claiming another title, but North Greene had other plans. The loss means Unaka will now have to go on the road to face a tough Coalfield team in a crucial sectional matchup on Saturday night.
The game started slow for the Lady Rangers, as they struggled to find their rhythm offensively, hitting just 3 of 13 shots in the first quarter. Despite their shooting woes, Unaka managed to stay within striking distance, trailing only 11-8 at the end of the first period. North Greene’s Hannah Miller proved to be a force inside, scoring easy layups and keeping the Lady Huskies in control.
Every time North Greene built a lead, Unaka showed resilience, battling back to keep the game close. In the second half, Katlyn Dugger stepped up with two big 3-pointers and played stellar defense on Miller, slowing her scoring output significantly.
With 2:40 left in the game, Michelle Shields hit a 15-footer to bring Unaka within one point. Moments later, Kalli Shepard gave the Lady Rangers their first lead of the game, 42-40, with just 1:30 remaining. However, the Lady Huskies responded by cutting the deficit to one with a free throw to make it 42-41 with 59 seconds left.
Unaka had possession with a chance to regain the lead, but in a heartbreaking sequence, they lost control of the ball, turning it over and giving North Greene an opportunity. The Lady Huskies capitalized, setting up Buchanan’s game-winning shot. With just seconds left, Unaka had one last attempt but came up short, sealing the win for the Huskies. North Greene shot 12 free throws in the game, while the Lady Rangers did not attempt a single one.
Shields led all scorers with 16 points, followed by Lauren Lund with seven and Dugger with six. Miller was North Greene’s top scorer, finishing with 14 points.
Despite the tough loss, several Lady Rangers earned all-tournament honors, including Shields, Lund, and freshman Brooklyn Campbell. Cloudland’s McKinna Shell was also named to the all-tournament team.
The Lady Rangers will now turn their focus to Coalfield, where they must regroup and prepare for another battle with their season on the line.
