By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
SPRING GARDEN – Following the Spring Garden boys’ shocking Class 1A basketball sub-regional loss to Skyline in double overtime, the fans at Dale Welsh Gymnasium were left numb.
But leave it to Lady Panther senior point guard Ace Austin to pump the crowd back up.
The University of Alabama signee tossed in 45 points, just five points shy of her career high. She also grabbed 18 rebounds, dished out five assists, had four steals and blocked three shots in the top-ranked Lady Panthers’ 87-35 victory over Oakwood Academy.
Ace sealed the night for the crowd – and for the Lady Panthers’ other four seniors – by making the last shot she took in a game on the court that bears her father and head coach Ricky Austin’s name. With 2:07 to go, she sank a 3-pointer from the corner, her sixth trey of the game.
Along with fellow seniors Maggie Jarrett, Olivia Law, Avery Steward and Kristen Lewis, Ace was then taken out of the game during a timeout with 2:05 remaining to a standing ovation by the home crowd.
“I think that was just a fitting moment,” Ace said. “I’m never going to leave the gym without making a shot. It’s kind of been how it’s been since I was little, shooting on the court. I’m not going to leave the gym until I hit it. It was just a perfect moment.”
Coach Austin said he laid in bed in the wee hours of Saturday morning thinking of how that moment would be.
“Last night, when I was laying there, I was thinking how cool it would be for her to make her last shot,” Coach Austin said. “After all the years we’ve been in here, you don’t leave the gym until you make that last shot. I just thought it was fitting. When she made that last shot, it just made it easy for all five of them (to come out of the game).”
Junior Montana Highfield also did her best to help pump the crowd back up. She added 13 points, including three 3-pointers, and six rebounds for the Lady Panthers (32-1), who will play Winterboro in the Northeast Regional semifinals at Jacksonville State on Tuesday at noon.
“I thought at Christmas break we saw a different Montana, but boy, the last three weeks, what you’re seeing now is what she’s doing at practice every single day,” Coach Austin said of Highfield. “She’s been making plays. She got herself back in shape. She’s confident shooting. She wants the ball. She feels really good in her shoes right now. That’s a big plus for us.”
“I definitely had a lot more confidence tonight,” Highfield said. “I knew that this was one of those games you have to play your best or you go home. I just wanted to play good for my team and just make sure I did my job of the court. I feel like I did that very well tonight.”
Highfield sank Spring Garden’s first trey nine seconds into the game. The Lady Panthers led after one 25-7. Their lead swelled to 52-13 by halftime and 78-24 after three quarters.
Law delivered 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block for Spring Garden. Jarrett managed seven points, four boards, four steals, three assists and a block. Lewis finished with six points on a pair of treys, with three steals, two assists, a rebound a block.
Charity Jarman led the Lady Mustangs with 20 points, including three 3-pointers. Lacey Kelsay and Joana Caldwell finished with seven and six points respectively.
