The Memorial Day girls basketball team was down to six active players, but that didn't stop the Matadors from winning a GIAA State championship.
Memorial Day entered its GIAA Class A state basketball finals matchup with Citizens Christian Academy with just six active players on the Matador roster. So when junior star Nyla Edwards had to sit down in the first half after her third foul, the team was in a bind.
But the Matadors responded like they have all season with a strong team effort to beat Citizens Christian 51-38 to win the first girls basketball state title in school history in a victory at Columbus State University Friday, Feb. 27.
Memorial Day ended its season with a 19-4 record. Citizens Christian finished at 14-13.
Freshman Johnkeria Miles, who burst on the scene as a star eighth grader with the Matadors last season (eighth graders can play varsity sports in the GIAA), led the team with 21 points and Edwards scored 11. Freshman Kyrsten Eiland scored eight points. The Matadors played out the year with just six players after junior standout Raliyah Rivers suffered a knee injury on Feb. 6 that sidelined her for the rest of the season.
"It seemed like we were a little tired after our semifinal win on Wednesday, and then Nyla got into some foul trouble," said Memorial Day coach Emon Grayson, in her fifth season leading the program. "But the girls rallied and came together to pull it out. They stayed focused and played a strong game."
Grayson said she just found out this week that the girls program had never won a state crown, and that made the victory even sweeter.
"We had never won one before, so to watch how much our team has grown and to see the girls take it all the way to the end of the season and win it all means everything to us," Grayson said.
Edwards said it was tough to have to take a seat after her third foul in the first half, but she knew her teammates had her back.
"They played hard and kept the momentum going," the 5-foot-10 junior said. "When I had to go out, they didn't let it discourage them. It felt great to win the championship and I'm really proud of how we played through the adversity. I definitely think we can do it again next year."
Miles thinks the young Matador squad has future championships on the horizon.
"We're the first girls team to win a state championship since Memorial Day opened 55 years ago, so it felt really good," Miles said. "Our defense was the key today. Our shots weren't going down like they usually do, so we had to play tough, aggressive defense to win. When Nyla had to sit, we stayed locked in and played with the same intensity. I think we have a chance to win it for the next four years."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at [email protected]. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Memorial Day girls basketball wins state crown with six players on roster
Category: General Sports
