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Late Mishap Cost Lady Vikings, Griffin Victory: Griffin Scores 25 Following Slow Start

Posted on: Sunday, 5 February 2006, 12:00 CST

By Robert Spruck, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.

Feb. 5--Sequoyah Griffin did everything she could to keep Pacelli in the game until the closing seconds.

Griffin, who missed her first six shot attempts, scored 25 points in the final three quarters as the Lady Vikings rallied to cut a 12-point, third-quarter deficit to one.

With 2.5 seconds left, Calhoun County's Lakendra Sol missed a free throw, and Griffin grabbed the rebound and called a timeout.

The only problem for Griffin and the Vikings was that they didn't have any. They were whistled for a technical foul, and Calhoun County held on for a 68-67 victory Saturday night.

"I thought we had a timeout, and coach (Art Thomason) didn't tell us that we had no more," Griffin said.

Griffin had some help from Brandi Hollingsworth, who scored 10, and Porsha Morgan, who scored six points in the fourth quarter after spraining her ankle.

The Vikings (20-3) struggled to contain JoeDonna Molden, who scored a game-high 29.

The loss was Pacelli's first loss against a Class A opponent. The Vikings' other two losses were in the Shaw Christmas Tournament to Shaw and Columbus High.

Pacelli wrapped up the Region 2-A regular-season championship -- its first title -- Friday night with a 71-55 win against Randolph-Clay.

Playing less than 24 hours after that win, Pacelli was a little sluggish at the start. Calhoun County (22-2) jumped out early and led 18-10 after the first quarter.

The Vikings were able to stay within striking distance as Megan Brown scored eight of the 10 points in the opening quarter.

"Megan Brown was a huge spark for us," said Thomason, whose team is the top seed in the Region 2-A tournament that starts Wednesday in Cuthbert, Ga. "She came out and got it done. She was rebounding and scoring. She was making things happen."

But the Vikings didn't have an answer for Molden, who continually got in the lane and drew fouls. Molden and the Lady Cougars built a 15-point advantage, 31-16, with 2:01 left in the first half.

"We would have liked for her to make the final two," Calhoun County coach Mike Williams said jokingly. "She has always come through for us."

Pacelli never did take the lead, but cut it to one on five different occasions in the fourth quarter.

Griffin said the loss will make the Vikings stronger in the future.

"I think we were meant to lose," she said. "Now we know exactly what we have to do."

Saturday night at Pacelli

Calhoun County 18171419--68 Pacelli 10132024--67 Calhoun County -- JoeDonna Molden 29, Shanon Coleman 14, Chaki Sheppard 10, Sol 4, William 4, Strawter 3, Strafford 2, Eafford 2.

Pacelli -- Sequoyah Griffin 25, Brandi Hollingsworth 10, Brown 8, Woods 6, Morgan 6, Gainey 4, Fluellen 4, Bourbine 2, Rogers 2.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.

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Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

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