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Sports

Chamblee Loses Heartbreaker Versus Miller Grove in Overtime

Lady Bulldogs elminated from playoff contention after suffering first defeat of the season

 

A season with championship aspirations abruptly ended for the Chamblee girls Wednesday at Tucker High School.

In a shocking upset, Miller Grove defeated the No. 1-ranked (AAAA) Lady Bulldogs 43-41 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Region 6-AAAA Tournament, knocking Chamblee out of playoff contention.

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Miller Grove handed Chamblee — which won the teams' first meeting by 22 points — its first loss on the season and clinched berth in the state playoffs. Only the top four teams make it to the playoffs from each region, leaving Chamblee (23-1, 16-1 region) on the outside looking in.

Klarissa Weaver, who led Miller Grove with 13 points, coolly knocked down two free throws with 7.5 seconds to go in overtime to give the Lady Wolverines the lead.

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Chamblee’s Lucy Mason drove the length of the court after Weaver’s makes, but her last-second lay-up attempt caromed off the bottom of the rim to give Miller Grove (17-8, 13-5) the thrilling victory.

Weaver’s game-winning connections from the stripe came after she missed her first three free-throw attempts in the overtime period.

“She wasn’t afraid of those free throws right there,” said Miller Grove head coach Renee Breedlove. “She knocked them down. We needed them, and she made them.”

Weaver, who scored all of Miller Grove’s six points in overtime, teamed with Tabitha Fudge to play solid post defense all night long on center Chelsea Adams and the rest of the Chamblee lineup. 

“(Post defense) was big,” Breedlove said. “If anyone drove into the lane, they were blocking shots for us.”

Fudge finished with six points and Tashi Thompson added eight.

Chamblee junior small forward Breana McDonald led all scorers with 15 points. Mason had 13 points, including two long treys at crucial times in the second half.

Miller Grove shocked Chamblee early by pulling out to an 11-6 first-quarter lead after Weaver hit a short jumper at the buzzer. Thompson helped the Lady Wolverines get out to their fast start, dropping two three-pointers in the period. 

Miller Grove held a 16-12 halftime lead by continuing to force Chamblee out of its comfort zone. The Lady Bulldogs were unable to consistently score in the paint and had to settle for long jump shots.

McDonald, who was the impetus for her team offensively, had a sensational third quarter with eight points to pull the Lady Bulldogs to within one at 26-25 heading into the final stanza.

The rollercoaster continued in the final minutes of regulation as Chamblee took a 37-35 lead after McDonald knocked down one of two free throws with 1:20 remaining.

Miller Grove turned it over on its next possession, but Chamblee would give it right back after Camp stumbled and gave up the ball. Thompson laid the ball in on the ensuing fast break to tie the game at 37-37 with 23 seconds on the clock.

Neither team could capitalize on opportunities in the waning seconds of regulation, sending the game into overtime.

Miller Grove was 2-0 on the year when playing more than 32 minutes of basketball and Breedlove had a simple message for her team heading into their third overtime game of the season.

“I said, ‘It’s ours to win it. The defense is going to win it for us.’ That’s exactly what I told them,” Breedlove said.

Weaver's winning free throws came after Mason missed a three that would have given Chamblee a 44-41 lead with under a minute to play.

When the final buzzer sounded, Miller Grove players and fans alike stormed onto the court to celebrate undoubtedly the biggest win in the program’s short history. Breedlove, Miller Grove’s only coach since the Lithonia school opened in 2004, embraced assistant coaches and anyone in her vicinity after the win.

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