Lady Cougars Shock AAA Lady Trojans

For all the success the Piedmont Academy varsity girls basketball team has enjoyed this season, the coaches and players were looking for a signature win that would elevate the program to the next level.

The Lady Cougars got that win last Thursday by defeating Class AAA John Milledge Academy at home 52-49. Sydney Stroud scored 15 points to lead Piedmont while Marissa Holder finished with 13 points.

Stroud’s free throws in the final seconds helped seal the win.

“Going in to the game we knew we had a pretty good idea we would see a triangle and two the whole game,” coach Michael Wilson said. “We worked on it and it’s what they stayed in the whole game. I think that look caused us to start a little slow but we settled in and Jayden Young kept us in the game in the first half.”

The game was close throughout although the Lady Cougars did make some halftime adjustments.

“At half we sat down and made some more adjustments offensively and the girls came out and executed,” Wilson said. “As we moved into the fourth quarter, they really began to figure out how to get the basketball to the areas where we had open looks and we knocked them down. If we play like that from here out, we will be tough to defend because we have very good skill at all positions. It’s tough for many girls teams to face a team that has as many options. We are capable of all our top seven getting to double figures each game. We hope to get to that goal because we know how difficult that will be to defend and defeat.”

The win by the Lady Cougars snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Lady Trojans.

“It was a physical game, as it always is with JMA,” Wilson said. “We didn’t back down and kept competing. We were down by seven at their place at half and came back only to give up the lead so I think when we found ourselves down by seven going into the fourth the girls didn’t panic. We had a good talk before the start of the fourth quarter and then Sydney went out and made a three to start and we got into a great rhythm and kept the pressure on them.”

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John Milledge coaches attempted to slow down Holder, who as an eighth grader has already become one of the top players in the league. The Lady Trojans also targeted Haley Ann Frank defensively. Frank still made an impact on the boards, however, and played a key role in the victory.

For Holder, her coach said the future is extremely bright.

“Marissa’s performance was amazing,” Wilson said. “To be an eighth grader and to face that defense and respond speaks to both how others already view her and to the player she is and even to what see can become in the future. That’s a lot of pressure for someone so young and it wouldn’t have been anything to be ashamed of if she had struggled, but she didn’t. She handled the basketball without turning it over, she attacked the basket and got to the foul line and she made great decisions.”

Wilson is quick to point out several Lady Cougars had great efforts in the win last Thursday.

“Sydney’s shooting in the fourth quarter played a huge part in our win,” the coach said. “We knew going in that she would get looks with the defense we were going to see. She had good looks in the first half that went in and out and she stayed positive and aggressive. She had been a little frustrated lately with her looks not falling. She’s been shooting well and just not getting the results. I kept telling her to stay confident and keep shooting and they will fall and help us at some point. That game was a great time for it.”

Maddie Waddleton added 10 points for Piedmont with Jayden Young adding nine. Hannah Tyler finished with five points.

“You don’t beat a team like that if all the girls that played had not played a great game,” Wilson said. “Maddie Waddleton rebounded and battled on the inside and did a great job working with the guards setting screens to allow us to penetrate and kick out or get to the basket. Hannah Tyler’s defense was tremendous, she just wears down a ball handler and helps to make the other team speed up what they want to do and take attempts a little earlier than they want. I’m also glad to see her ability to score is beginning to show.”

Young was also credited for stepping up in the game with JMA.

“I think Jayden played her best all-around game ever and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” Her coach said. “I’m really proud for her because she deserved it.”

The win against arguably the top team in GISA Class AAA is something the Piedmont varsity girls have been working toward.

“Beating John Milledge shows me we are moving in the right direction,” Wilson said “We hadn’t beaten them in 14 years. A victory like this is great for Piedmont as a community and for this team. It gives us a lot of confidence moving forward and for the program it is so nice to get a tangible result for the girls. They’ve worked so hard the last few years to get to this point and just hadn’t been able to beat an elite program for whatever reason. I think this validates us a little in terms of being seen as a really good team but also shows us what we need to continue to improve on. It’s not the ultimate prize we seek but it is a nice piece to the puzzle.”

The Lady Cougars also defeated Creekside Christian Academy 57-20 on the road Saturday. Piedmont led 23-4 after the first quarter.

Tyler, Frank and Stroud led the team with 12 points each.

The Lady Cougars stayed perfect in region play by defeating LaGrange Academy 39-23 Tuesday at home.