Garden grinds one out
- Updated: February 18, 2022
Skillful Spring Garden takes out Midfield to get regional rematch with Pisgah, Midfield coach plays race card
By Shannon Fagan
Special to East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE – Spring Garden girls basketball coach Ricky Austin felt his team had the fundamental skill and the Midfield Lady Patriots the athleticism and size in their Class 2A Northeast Regional semifinal matchup at Jacksonville State Friday.
In the end, skill won out in a grind.
The second-ranked Lady Panthers earned a 65-54 victory to reach another regional final, where they’ll meet top-ranked Pisgah (30-3) for a second straight season with a berth in the Final Four on the line.
Pisgah defeated Locust Fork 72-56 in Friday’s other semifinal. The Lady Eagles won a classic battle over Spring Garden in overtime in last year’s region final, 72-65.
“Last year when we got beat, we have it hanging on our locker room door, and it says I said we’d be back down here next year,” Lady Panthers’ guard Ace Austin. “We’re back down here and we want that rematch.”
“We’re always talking about having something to prove,” Neely Welsh added. “I think we have exactly that.”
Ricky Austin challenged both his daughter and Welsh at Thursday’s practice to deliver against third-ranked Midfield (20-6), and they did.
Austin had 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. She scored 14 of her points in the fourth quarter, going 9-of-12 at the free-throw line. Welsh had 23 points, seven boards and three assists.
“I said ‘Hey, you’re our two best players. You’ve got to find ways to score tonight. Y’all have got to find a way to get the ball in the basket,” the coach said. “They carried us with 47 of our points tonight.”
Ace Austin and Welsh’s performances inside the paint, as well as that of Sarah Kate McKay (eight points and four boards), seemed to frustrate the Lady Patriots – in more ways than one.
The Lady Panthers (31-1) held a 37-32 rebounding edge, as well as the edge at the free-throw line. Spring Garden connected on 17-of-24 of its free-throw attempts with Austin going 10-of-13. The Lady Patriots were just 8-of-21 from the charity stripe, but at halftime trailing by three they were ahead on fouls (4-9), and while Spring Garden hadn’t been to the line. Midfield was a meager 3-of-12.
“You don’t blame anything, and I hate to discredit Spring Garden because they are a really, really good team, a well-coached team, but year in and year out, we’ve had the discrepancies of foul calls,” Midfield coach Charles Thomas said. “It’s sad. It really is.
“I really think it’s a racial situation. I may get in trouble, but at some point you have to speak up and speak your mind in these situations. I think certain kids are allowed to be more aggressive than other kids in these situations, and it’s not right. These kids, they play their hearts out. They give everything to this program on and off the court. I think it’s something that needs to be looked at with a really, really close eye.
“Spring Garden is a really, really good team. I have a lot of respect for Austin as a coach. He’s a champ. What more can you say? But enough is enough. These games need to be called a whole lot more closely. There’s too many loose ends on it.”
Moments earlier, when the teams were in the handshake line following the game, Midfield’s Markia Smith attempted to punch Ace Austin. But before things escalated any further, both teams were escorted to their respective locker rooms.
When asked by the media about the incident, Thomas declined comment. Coach Austin, however, did acknowledge the incident.
“All I know is what Ace told me. She said the girl was using some really bad language to her,” he said. “Two good teams, competitive, No. 2 and No. 3. It was a boxing match. I’m just glad it didn’t become a boxing match at the end.
“I’m sure both sides were emotional. We don’t hold nothing against them. They understand. They’re competitors. They wanted to win like we did. We don’t want our emotions to get the best of us, winning or losing, either way. I think these girls do a great job with that.”
Shannon Fagan is Sports Director of WEIS Radio in Centre.
CLASS 2A NORTHEAST REGIONAL
Girls Semifinals
Spring Garden 65, Midfield 54
SPRING GARDEN (31-1) – Ace Austin 6-13 10-13 24, Kayley Kirk 2-6 0-0 5, Sarah Kate McKay 2-3 3-4 8, Neely Welsh 8-16 4-7 23, Abbey Steward 0-4 0-0 0, Bri Boles 1-2 0-0 3, Libby Brown 1-2 0-0 2, Maggie Jarrett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-46 17-24 65.
MIDFIELD (20-6) – Jala Hutchins 6-15 2-6 16, Caitlyn Townes 1-4 0-0 2, Dominique Owens 4-10 1-4 9, Markia Smith 1-11 2-3 4, Jasmine Lenyard 6-11 1-3 15, Jalyn Williams 3-4 1-3 7, Kaitlyn Battle 0-1 0-0 0, Yanni Bailey 0-0 0-0 0, Amyrria Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Gabriel Thomas 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 21-56 8-21 54.
Spring Garden 15 12 16 22 – 65
Midfield 15 10 11 18 – 54
3-point goals: Spring Garden 8-24 (Austin 2-6, Kirk 1-4, McKay 1-2, Welsh 3-5, Steward 0-4, Boles 1-2, Brown 0-1); Midfield 4-11 (Hutchins 2-4, Smith 0-3, Lenyard 2-4). Rebounds: Spring Garden 37 (Austin 13, Welsh 7); Midfield 32 (Lenyard 7, Hutchins 6). Fouled out: Kirk, Owens, Smith. Total fouls: Spring Garden 17, Midfield 21. Officials: Stringer, Isbell, Putman.
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