Forestview holds off South Central for state championship

CHAPEL HILL — It took a long time for Forestview players and coaches to get over last year’s state championship loss.

Saturday’s game might have put the agony in the past for good.

Shannon Smith scored 26 points, Kelsey Harris added 13 and the two seniors ended their high school careers on top, leading Forestview to a 62-55 win over South Central for the 3A state girls basketball championship at UNC Chapel Hill’s Smith Center.

“I’m finally over it now,” Smith said of last year’s two-point championship loss to Greensboro Dudley.

That simple statement drew laughter from her jovial teammates in the interview room as they basked in the glory of the school’s first state championship.

The postgame scene contrasted sharply from a year ago in Raleigh, where the Jaguars’ dream fell short and the players left in tears. The final buzzer this time sent the players sprinting down the court in celebration. Smith was the most visibly excited, falling to the floor face-up as she closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

“I’m still in shock in right now,” Smith said. “It’ll probably hit me in an hour or two.”

Smith, playing on her future college campus with North Carolina women’s coach Sylvia Hatchell in the stands, also dished six assists, pulled down three rebounds and had two steals in a much better performance than last year’s. She scored 31 points in the previous title game but missed 25 shots and had 10 turnovers. This time, she again struggled somewhat with her shot, going 6-for-17 from the field and 1-for-4 from 3-point range. But she frequently worked her way to the foul line, where she went 13-for-15.

Harris, who managed only three points last year, turned her fortunes around in a big way, reaching 11 by halftime after a key 3-pointer just before the horn. The Elon signee also had three rebounds and two steals.

“There were no words to describe how I felt,” Harris said. “I started tearing up a little bit. This is our last game as Forestview Jaguars. I’m glad we got to end it like this.”

Smith was named most valuable player for the game, and Harris was selected Forestview’s most valuable player.

Showcasing the talent that will remain at Forestview, freshman Bre Armstrong had 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Sophomore Khadijah Joyner contributed six points, six rebounds and two steals. And sophomore Brianna Taylor finished with five points and two rebounds despite getting in early foul trouble.

Junior Jazmin Ellis scored the Jaguars’ other two points and snagged a rebound.

Forestview (27-2) led by 13 at halftime and survived a spirited South Central rally that made it a five-point game with 1:22 remaining. But the Jaguars held on, and coach Ken Beaty felt his team’s maturity — in part gained from last year’s title appearance — was the reason.

“There was no panic,” Beaty said. “Some teams without the experience might have panicked and might have let them come all the way back, but they’ve played basketball long enough to know that the other team’s going to make a run. We kept our composure and kept doing what we needed to do.”

Forestview trailed only once, at 3-2 90 seconds after the opening tip. The Jaguars led by as many as 10 in the first quarter, 13 in the second quarter and 16 in the third before the Falcons (28-5) made a late run.

Both teams maintained a fast pace most of the game until Forestview stalled in the final few minutes, taking advantage of a healthy lead.

Forestview’s defense was perhaps the biggest key, forcing 26 turnovers. The Jaguars, who committed only 12 turnovers, opted for a zone against the athletic Falcons the entire game — an unusual move for this team.

“They started out not making outside shots and we were trying to keep them off the boards,” Beaty said.

South Central eventually made shots from the perimeter, finishing 5-for-12 from 3-point range. The Falcons also won the rebounding battle, 38-25.

Danielle Butts, the Falcons’ leading scorer, finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds despite missing a couple of minutes in the third quarter with an injury. Butts, a junior, will join Smith at North Carolina in two seasons.

JaNesha Ebron added 16 points, ShaVonte Mills nine points and Haley McCorkle 13 rebounds for South Central, which started one senior, three juniors and a sophomore.

“We just couldn’t get over the hump and couldn’t get a couple things to fall our way,” South Central coach Mary Bryan Carlyle said of the late rally. “And we did turn the ball over two or three times in a row. I commend Forestview on their defensive effort.”

Forestview’s 27 wins tie for second in school history. The 2008 team went 30-1 and lost in the regional finals.

Since then, the Jaguars have advanced one step further each season. After Saturday’s win, perhaps Beaty said it best:

“It feels a whole lot better.”

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.