Class 2A Girls semifinals: Decatur Heritage rolls into final with big win over Abbeville

Decatur Heritage’s girls picked a good time to put together its full roster.

Battling sickness and injuries, the Class 2A No. 1 Eagles were loaded for its Class 2A semifinal matchup against Abbeville.

“This is the first time after Christmas that we have our whole entire team,” Decatur Heritage coach Johnny Jones said. “The way we practice and they progress, man, it’s been amazing to see.”

Playing at full strength, the Eagles picked up a 65,34 rout of Abbeville to punch their ticket to the Class 2A final.

“It was a great game,” Jones said. “With Abbeville, we knew it was going to be a difficult game. They’re big, very fast. Coach Brooks is a great coach. We really had a great game plan and we made some adjustments out ahead of time.

“When you get to this stage, you’ve got to find a way.”

Bolting out to a 16-8 lead after the first quarter and a 29-16 lead at halftime, the Eagles rolled the rest of the way with three players scoring in double figures; Leslie Hames led the way with 19 points, while Genie McGhee had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Aaliyah Tropue had 14 points and 9 rebounds in the win.

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Hames said of advancing to the final. “We really work hard during practice to get here. We’re all confident in each other and just trust in the process and trusting each other.”

Abbeville’s offense was led by 13 points and 7 rebounds by Gabrielle Brown, while Ny’Diqua Hardamon had 8 points and 7 rebounds.

“We played with a lot of heart, we hustled and Decatur Heritage is a very good basketball team,” Abbeville coach Darryl Brooks said. “They’re very scrappy, and so we’ve got to give them credit too, for playing the way they played and the way they hustled.”

Star of the game: McGhee shined with a double-double, also grabbing 7 steals and dishing out 4 assists.

Stat sheet: Decatur Heritage — The Eagles shot 26-for-59 from the field and knocked down 6 3-point baskets in the win. Decatur Heritage also grabbed 44 rebounds and totaled 14 steals, double what Abbeville had. Bri Tyson scored 10 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-point baskets. Abbeville — Aliyah Knight had 7 rebounds and 6 points for Abbeville, also leading the team with 5 assists in the win. Abbeville had 10 assists as a team and outscored Decatur Heritage 12-8 on points off fastbreaks.

Did you know? Decatur Heritage is chasing its first girls’ basketball state title.

They said it: “They went to a senior retreat and they’ve been different since they got back. It’s great, man, just seeing them, they’re really close now, and they talk a lot of trash through the halls and it’s great.” — Jones on his Decatur Heritage group.

They have worked hard from the offseason all the way to now as a group. hey work hard together. Even when we come in the dressing room, they cheer one up, pat one on the shoulders. Even when we walked out the court tonight, they were hurt, but they’re still picking each other and that’s what you want to see. That’s what you want to teach as a coach.” – Brooks on his team.

What’s next: Decatur Heritage will face Pisgah or Highland Home in the Class 2A final on Friday at 9 a.m.