The O’Neal Falcons finished another undefeated conference season capped off with a regular season and tournament championship last week.
The streak, dating back to the 2017-2018 season, now extends to 46 regular season conference victories (62 total including tournament games) since the Falcons have lost in conference play.
“It’s pretty incredible to think about honestly,” shares Coach Lulu Brase. “Through the years our conference has been one of the top in 2A Girls Basketball placing multiple teams in the top 5 of the state, so to keep a streak going like this is quite a feat. We are most proud though of how the girls continue to stick to the process of excellence and commit themselves to showing up each day ready to work.”
Friday night, the Falcons left no doubt running away with the tournament championship 60-19 over Trinity Academy. A quick 16-6 start saw the Falcons speed up the Tigers of Trinity and create four of their 13 game steals in the opening minutes of the game. Defensive intensity and a balanced attack led the way on the evening as the Falcons tallied 16 team assists.
“This group has truly bought in to playing for each other,” shares Coach Brase. “They move the ball and enjoy seeing their teammates succeed. Our balance is one of our biggest strengths.”
The Falcons were led by the dynamic guard duo of senior Caelan McHarney (15 points, 7 assists and 6 steals) and freshmen Ashanti Fox (17 points, 3 steals, 3 assists). Joining the scoring were Tamiya Judd (8 points, 9 rebounds), Kelyce McSwain (8 points, 11 rebounds), Taylor Woods (8 points), Brooklyn Adams (2 points) and Reily Johnson (2 points).
The victory moved the Falcons to 18-3 overall heading into the NCISAA state tournament.
The Falcons received the No. 2 seed on the Westside of the NCISAA 2A bracket and won their opening tournament game 77-16 over Thales Academy Apex. The Falcons will host Thursday, Feb. 17 Northside Christian for the second round of the NCISAA state tournament with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
