Lady Rams win back to back State Championship

NCISAA 1-A State Champions

Lady Holy Rams

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Published Sun, Feb 27, 2011 06:36 AM
Modified Sun, Feb 27, 2011 12:16 AM
News and Observer BY ALEX BASS - Correspondent
Word of God girls defend state title
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Published Sun, Feb 27, 2011 06:36 AM
Modified Sun, Feb 27, 2011 12:16 AM
News and Observer BY ALEX BASS - Correspondent

ASHEVILLE Word of God earned one more shining moment in Saturday's N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) 1A girls basketball state final at Asheville School.

The Holy Rams defeated Greenville Oakwood 64-60 to complete a successful championship defense in the first year of coach Debra Jones' second stint leading the program.

Word of God (20-1) led by 10 (23-13) and eight (39-31) following the first and second periods before Oakwood's Harmony Simpkins netted three free throws to give her team a 40-39 advantage at the third quarter's six-minute mark.

Simpkins (24 points) made three more foul shots with no time left in the stanza to pull her team within one (48-47) with eight minutes left.

"I told them just to calm down and play defense," Jones said. "Our great defense won the game, I think."

Simpkins opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a basket that put the Eagles ahead by one before Holy Rams guard Nadine Ealey (27 points) converted a pair of free throws.

Ealey's foul shots began a 10-0 Word of God run that secured the lead for good.

The Holy Rams held on despite a 6-for-13 effort at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.

Oakwood (20-4), seeded second, got a game-high 28 points from TeAmber Burke. Tenisha Morrison added 15 points for No. 1 seed Word of God, whose roster included seven players.