The 27 game winning streak that captured the state of Alabama by storm came to a sad end on Tuesday night at JSU’s Pete Mathews Coliseum, as Sand Rock saw their season come to an end just a step away from the return trip to Birmingham.

The #1 ranked Lady Wildcats (31-3) out of Class 2A had one of their most physical games of the season against #6 Fyffe (29-5), but a physical game that the Sand Rock players coming out of the game did not feel like was the toughest challenge they dealt with all year. Perhaps the tough challenges that plagued them through the season though was eventually meant to catch up to them, and in this case it did as the Lady Red Devils used a huge flip in the physicality in the 2nd half, taking advantage of the shift in the foul game, and pulling it all into a tight bow to hand Fyffe a 65-61 win.

Sand Rock was led in the game statistically by Kynleigh Chesnut, who ended the contest with a near double double of 21 points off 7-13 shooting (1-3 from 3, 6-6 FT) 9 rebounds (2 offensive, 7 defensive), 2 assists, and 3 steals. Also worth high mention is the passionate senior for the Lady Wildcats Kirby DeBoard, who ended the Northeast Regional Championship matchup with 17 points off 6-12 shooting (1-2 from range, 4-6 from the line), 2 defensive rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals. Fyffe’s championship performance was led on the stat line meanwhile by Alexia Barber’s double-double performance (17 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal).

With the loss, Sand Rock’s remarkable season is over, but a season none of us, especially here at WEIS, will ever forget. A season filled with wins in the Cherokee Invitational and County Basketball tournaments, an Area crown, a #1 ranking in Class 2A, and a group of girls who stuck with one another with a sort of fun energy that their coach Lisa Bates I’m sure is happy to have gotten to coach this year.

Fyffe’s season, on the flip side, is not over and they advance to the 2A Girls State Semifinals at the BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL to take on RC Hatch on February 25th at 6 PM. We will be looking forward to seeing if the Lady Red Devils can find themselves coming home with the State Championship trophy!

SAND ROCK POST GAME AUDIO

FYFFE POST GAME AUDIO