By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great local journalism.
South girls fall, boys survive
Storms, Bibler star for Eagles
sports-sfgirls1
South Forsyth’s Stephanie Storms puts up a shot during the fourth quarter of Monday’s game against Peachtree Ridge in the opening round of the Region 7-AAAAA tournament. - photo by Jared Putnam
JOHNS CREEK — Stephanie Storms almost morphed South Forsyth into comeback kids one last time.  

The senior point guard scored 16 points in the second half and sparked a 22-4 run that rallied South Forsyth from a 17-point hole, but Erika Waters hit a pair of free throws with 5.1 seconds on the clock to lift Peachtree Ridge to a 51-49 victory in the opening round of the Region 7-AAAAA tournament on Monday at Chattahoochee High School.

Storms and D’Atra Sawyer of Peachtree Ridge finished with 18 points apiece, while Katie Onushko added 12 for South.

The Lady War Eagles appeared to be going down without much of a fight when they were outscored 15-2 at the start of the third quarter, allowing the Lady Lions to open up a 43-26 lead.

But Storms — who scored only two points in the first half — broke the drought with a three-pointer, then knocked down two more key treys with under three minutes to play to draw South within two points, 47-45.

After a Storms free throw narrowed the gap to a single point, Nicole Rosanwo gave South its first lead since the first quarter by knocking down a pair of her own at the foul line, which put the Lady Eagles on top 48-47 with 1:11 remaining.

The rally went awry from there, though, as Monique Pate got an offensive rebound and put-back that gave the Lady Lions a 49-48 lead with 36 ticks left.

Natalie Edgeworth tied the game by hitting the second of two attempts at the charity stripe with 21.7 seconds remaining, but Waters was fouled and hit two fouls shots in the closing seconds.

Storms got off a potential game-winning three-pointer before the buzzer, but the shot didn’t find the mark. The loss ended the Lady War Eagles’ season.

South Forsyth (boys) 40, Northview 33

Kevin Bibler’s seven-point fourth quarter might not qualify as noteworthy under ordinary circumstances, but it was practically a windfall of points for South Forsyth on this night.

The War Eagles overcame a 16-12 halftime deficit behind Bibler (15 points), who led his team to victory in the opening round of the Region 7-AAAAA tournament even after fellow starters Derek Zittrauer (10) and Jonathan Sauls fouled out in the closing minutes.

South had little continuity on the offensive end in the first half, but found just enough improvement in the final two periods to secure a victory.

“It was an ugly game. It was a football score at halftime,” South coach David Sokol said.

“I thought Kevin Bibler did a great job putting us on his back in the fourth quarter.”  

South faces off against Collins Hill tonight at 6 p.m. at Mill Creek High School.