The Grace Christian Lady Eagles are ISCA State Champions for the third straight year. Alongside that is the Lady Eagles fourth straight TSCC Conference Championship. “They have built a dynasty, that they should be proud of,” Lady Wildcats Head Coach Talor Troyer said, “I’m just really proud of what we have built here at GCS.”
The Lady Eagles dominated in their semifinal win with a 54-24 win over Eagle Homeschool.
Mia Brownlee led the scoring charge with 17 points. Olivia Hogue added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Katie Skelton added nine points. The Championship game was much closer, as the Lady Eagles picked up a 53-47 win over Starkville Christian, a team that beat the Lady Eagles earlier in the season.
Hogue had another double-double with 14 points and 15 boards. Anna Rose Eaves then added 13 points, while Skelton added 12.
“We won this game by having a great third quarter ,and hitting our free throws consistently in the fourth quarter,” Troyer said. “The girls deserved this,” Troyer said as they showed intense work ethic throughout the entire season. The Lady Wildcats will be losing two contributors in Eaves and Hogue. “We are going to miss them both,” Troyer said. Eaves has contributed in a major way on the offensive end for many years, while Hogue has been a force on the defensive end for years. “She is the best defensive player that I have ever had,” Troyer said.
However, the future is bright for the Lady Eagles, as the Lady Eagles JV team won their conference championship the week prior. Many of those girls will be providing varsity minutes in the future for GCS. “They are very talented and also work so hard,” Troyer said, “The future at Grace for Girls Basketball is bright,” Troyer said.
A major factor that helped lead the Lady Eagles to another championship is their family like bond. “Our program is like a family,” Troyer said, “We may be small, but we work so hard. The Lady Eagles may be a small team at a small school, however they continue to accomplish big things.
“My girls have as much heart as any big program,” Troyer said. The Lady Eagles look to work hard in the offseason in order to continue their dynasty.
The GCS Eagles lost in the championship game, falling just short Heritage Christian. First the Eagles picked up a 71-66 win over Amory Christian after coming back from a 15 point deficit.
Miles Brownlee led the charge with 24 points, while Jack Butler added 20.
Chase Allman added 11 points, while both Bobby Culwell and Braden Joy had six. Heritage edged right past Grace with a 62-59 win. Brownlee had 26, while Butler added 12. Cullwell added eleven, while Allman had eight.
“We could have been more conditioned,” Eagles Head Coach Charles Heard said, “That falls on me.”
However Heard said Grace is building something that they will soon be proud of. “We’re starting a culture,” Heard said, “Next year is the year.”
