Tough ending
- Updated: February 12, 2025
Saks girls get off to promising start, but Sylvania’s big finish to the first half paves Rams’ way to Northeast Regional final.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Saks’ began its first Northeast Regional appearance since 2016 on the attack, confident.
Then Sylvania’s girls cranked up the press.
The Rams held Saks to one field goal in over a 20-minute, 16-second stretch and rolled on to a 60-27 Victory Wednesday in Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Sylvania (17-14) advanced to Monday’s 9 a.m. Class 3A final against the Piedmont-Whitesburg Christian winner.
Meredith Jackson led Sylvania with 19 points, and Molly Weaver added 15. Avery Jenkins added 14.
Alonna Crews’ 3-pointer put the Wildcats up 9-3 at 3:44, but Sylvania outscored the Wildcats 30-6 the rest of the first half and led 33-15 at halftime.
Saks’ lone field goal the rest of the first half came on Meorri English’s layup at the halftime buzzer, and the Wildcats didn’t get a field goal in the third quarter. With Sylvania leading 51-17, the fourth quarter played out on a running clock.
“It was ball security,” Saks coach Lamar Bradford said. “You’ve got to take care of the ball. We turned the ball over a little too much tonight.
“We’ve got to make the shots, and we missed a few easy open layups that could’ve given us a little momentum. Just compounding those things, you can never win a game.”
Saks shot 18.4 percent for the game and committed 25 turnovers.
“We’re defensive machines with an offensive mind,” Sylvania coach Madison Stone said. “Once we bought into that, we became a team that can create chaos.”
Sania Angel led Saks with eight points.
The Wildcats finished 18–6 with an area title.
“We’re doing things that haven’t been done since 2016, ” Crews said. “We had a good season and played the best that we could. Sadly, it wasn’t enough. The shots weren’t falling tonight, but I’m glad about how far we’ve come”:
Bradford said the Wildcats will learn from the experience of their first regional in nine years.
“Saks is here,” Bradford said. “Saks is back. You will see us here in the future a lot. We have a good strong group of young ladies that are willing to work. They’re talented. They’re young, so look out for us.”
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