Harrison's path to the state championship game was paved beyond the arc

By David Friedlander | Photo by Dale Zanine

BUFORD, Ga. — The Class 7A semifinal between Harrison and Archer came down to basic arithmetic.

Simply put, three is more than two or one.

Counting field goals and free throws, Archer put the ball through the hoop 30 times, compared with Harrison's 26.

The problem for the Tigers was that nearly half of Harrison's field goals were 3-pointers.

That difference was more than enough for the Hoyas to overcome a 2-to-1 deficit in free throws and come away with a 59-52 win Saturday night at Buford City Arena.

Anna Gernatt knocked down a third of those 3-pointers on her way to 12 points, while fellow senior Alisha Foster added a trio of 3s in matching her 12 points

Yet another senior, Bailey Vick, had two among her team-high 13 points to help the Hoyas (27-3) move into the state championship game against Norcross on Saturday in Macon.

In all, six players hit at least one shot from behind the arc to help Harrison overcome a big advantage for Archer (22-7) in the paint and on the glass thanks to their power duo of 5-foot-10 juniors Courntey Nesbitt (23 points, 6 rebounds) and Taniya McGowan (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots, 2 steals).

“We can shoot a little bit, that's for sure,” Harrison coach Terry Kemp said. “I mean, it helps when you get wide-open looks, and the girls do a good job of getting each other wide-open looks because … they play for each other. They want each other to succeed. And it's a different girl every night.”

It became evident from the opening tip that it was going to be more than just one Hoya sharpshooter finding the range from long distance.

Gernatt hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter, while Vick and Hope Mitchell each had one, and Gernatt connected again early in the second quarter as Harrison hit 5 of their first 6 shots from beyond the arc.

With the excellent ball movement necessary to give the shooters open looks, the Hoyas made life difficult for Archer's perimeter defenders.

“I haven't seen a team like that who can shoot it that well on the other side,” Archer coach Dani Wright said.

Still, the Tigers stayed close throughout by attacking the rim, with Nesbitt and McGowan doing much of the heavy lifting, with the former finishing off drives with layups, while the latter was adept at drawing fouls, which she cashed in by going 9-for-9 from the foul line.

Harrison's lead was only 16-13 after one quarter, and a 3-pointer by Ashanti Bryant ignited an 11-3 run over the final 4:15 of the first half to vault Archer into a 28-26 lead at intermission.

But with the score tied 38-38 after three quarters, the 3-point shot helped Harrison regain control.

Vick hit a trey 17 seconds into the fourth quarter, while reserve Mia Geveke was able to speed past the extended Archer perimeter defense and run down the rebound of her own missed 3 for a layup on Harrison's next possession.

Emme Johnson added a layup off an assist by Vick to cap a 6-0 run over the first 2:17 of the final quarter.

The Hoyas then held off two late Archer runs, with 3-pointers by Gernatt and Vick sandwiching Vick's conventional three-point play to break open a lead that had been trimmed to just four points to 11 at 56-45 with 1:59 to play.

But after five points from Nesbitt and a layup by McGowan, the Tigers pulled as close as 56-52 with 1:28 left.

Harrison dodged several bullets on some missed free throws when Archer failed to convert on several possessions.

Holley Turner hit 3 of 4 free-throw attempts over the final 26 seconds to put the game away and help Harrison advance to take on Norcross in next Saturday's state championship game.

It will be the third finals appearance in the past six years for the Hoyas, who are seeking their first title after runner-up finishes in Class 6A to Mays in 2017 and Lovejoy in 2018.

“I've seen enough footage of Norcross to know they're a spectacular team,” Kemp said. “They can shoot, they can defend. They're just a great all-around team, and we're going to need all of the week to get ready for them.”