Lady Indians advance

Lady Indian defenders harass a Gaston Day ball handler during Thursday's semifinal game in the Lady Hilltopper Tournament in Rutherfordton, N.C. Gaffney was able to pull out the win, 38-35. Gaffney girls head coach Stacey Parris came into this week's Lady Hilltoppers Classic in Rutherfordton, N.C. believing her team had what it took to win in spite of their youth at several key positions.

After two consecutive hard fought victories on their resume at the tournament, it can definitely be stated that the coach was right.

A night after claiming an overtime victory over cross border rival Shelby in the first round Wednesday, the Lady Indians were able to escape with a 38-35 win against Gaston Day to advance to Friday's title game.

"We are definitely glad to be in the championship game," Parris said. "We came into the tournament a little nicked up, but we have fought through it and have wound up in a great position."

The first half saw Gaffney dominate play, using defense and aggressive play on the boards to take an 7- point lead.

The Lady Indians, however, could not put away their opponents from the Tar Heel State though, as Gaston Day's size advantage and sharp shooting from the field helped them stay in the contest.

"We knew coming in that their point guard and center were big parts of their offense," Parris said. "That is why we went in at halftime to make adjustments that we hoped would slow them down."

Those adjustments were just what the doctor ordered for the Lady Indians, who came out of the locker room using a press defense that suffocated Gaston Day and forced them into several turnovers.

"We tried to put pressure on them and give ourselves more opportunities on the offensive end," Parris said.

The momentum on the defensive end turned out to have an impact on the scoreboard with Gaffney once taking a 13-point advantage midway through the third quarter.

Gaston Day would put together one last flurry before things were said and done, however, using Lady Indian fouls and mistakes to pull to within a point of taking the lead.

But a ball control offense helped erase some of those mistakes, helping Gaffney pull out the win.

"We are still a young team, and should be expected to make mistakes," Parris said. "Fortunately for us these mistakes are fixable."

The Lady Indians will face either Lexington or Boiling Springs in today's final. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.

"To win, we must be patient and take care of the ball," Parris said. "This team will be ready to play."