LAFAYETTE, Tenn. – Last season Macon County started two freshmen and a pair of sophomores in the Class AA title game before losing in overtime to district foe and defending champion Upperman by two points.
Meigs County – which starts four sophomores of its own – was hoping to repeat that youth movement trend in making its own run to the state tournament this season. The problem was that the Tigerettes returned six of seven key players with another year of maturity in their favor and no seniors on their roster.
That experience showed in Saturday nights sectional contest as host Macon County (30-5) used a pair of first-half spurts to create early separation and was never threatened in the second half in defeating the Lady Tigers, 69-50.
Meigs County (29-4) trailed by only two points in the first quarter before an 8-0 Tigerettes run expanded the lead to ten.
The Lady Tigers, who were ranked No. 1 in the final regular season poll, trimmed the margin to four in the second period before Macon County scored nine of the game’s next 11 points.
The Tigerettes used a 17-5 second half spurt to increase their advantage to 24 early in the fourth quarter, and Meigs was able to get no closer than 16 the rest of the contest.
Keeley Carter, who tallied 32 in last year’s state title game as a sophomore, scored 13 of her game-high 24 points in the first half to pace Macon County. Jalynn Gregory added 17 for the Tigerettes and MacKaylie Mix finished with 11.
Meigs County was led by Jacelyn Stone’s 12 points, while Kassidy Kenny chipped in 11 for the Lady Tigers who return every key player next year.
Macon County will be seeking its first championship in its seventh state tournament appearance, finishing in runner-up two other times in addition to last year. Meigs County was hoping return to the state tournament, which kicks offs with the Class AA quarterfinals on Thursday in Murfreesboro, for the first time since 2014.
McMinn Central (20-14), which hosted a sectional contest by virtue of its win over Meigs County in the Region 3-AA final, lost to DeKalb County (23-11), 44-42.
MEIGS COUNTY 9 17 9 15 -- 50
MACON COUNTY 19 18 17 15 -- 69
MEIGS COUNTY (50) – Stone 12, Kenny 11, Powell 7, A. Crowder 2, E. Crowder 4, Crabtree 6, Bales 5, Crager 3, Wade.
MACON COUNTY (69) – Carter 24, Gregory 17, Mix 11, Shoulders 6, Ashburn 3, King 8.
3-Pointers: Meigs County 2 (Kenny, Bales); Macon County 2 (Gregory, Ashburn)