Third Time's a Charm for Chapel Hill

If there was one team didn't want to see during the Region 5-AAAA tournament, it had to be . The Lady Cougars handed Chapel Hill two of their three region losses this year, including a 61-47 setback on Feb. 5.

Tuesday, guess who the No. 2 seed Lady Panthers were stuck playing in the region quarterfinals: you guessed it, Alexander. The No. 7 seed Lady Cougars have had the Lady Panther's number this year. 

Fortunately for Chapel Hill though, the third time happened to be a charm. Behind 30 points from senior Kanesha Looper, the Lady Panthers knocked off Alexander for the first time in three tries this season, 65-55.

Alexander coach Brandon Boehman knew beating a team like Chapel Hill three times in one season was going to be hard, "We knew coming over here that winning three games against one team was going to be tough," Boehman said after the game. "We knew that since we beat them twice and [the tournament game] was at their house and a state playoff berth was on the line, we knew they were going to play well. And they did exactly that."

The teams fought to a near draw in the first half, as Chapel Hill only led 33-32 at the break. However, Looper and the Lady Panthers broke the game open in the third quarter.

Looper and teammate Earnicia Washington combined to score 14 points during a 17-4 Chapel Hill run that put the Lady Panthers on top 50-36 and seemingly put the game away.

However, Alexander responded with a run of their own. Trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter, the Lady Cougars ran off 12 straight points to cut the lead to 50-48. But Looper and teammate Ashley Chestnut would combine to make 12 free throws down the stretch to keep Chapel Hill on top.

Lady Panther coach Christopher Long thinks the win will help his team going forward, "[This win] is going to give us a lot of confidence," Long said after the game. "For us to come out and play like we did tonight shows our intestinal fortitude, it shows how hard we've been working."

Long admitted he was slightly worried when his team blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, but only slightly, "Basketball is about ebb and flows," the coach says. "We took their best and then turned around and gave them our best."

Besides Looper's 30, Chapel Hill also got a strong night from sophomore Ashley Chestnut, who scored 17.

Brianna Yates, who finished the game with 13, led Alexander in scoring. Teammates Casey Peacock and Brooke Davidson each added 11. Davidson hit three fourth-quarter 3-pointers to key Alexander's comeback from 14 down.

Up next for Chapel Hill is a region semifinal game with Pope. That game will tip off from Kell High School on Friday at 4 p.m. The winner will earn the right to host a game in the first round of the state tournament. The loser will have to hit the road for Round 1. 

Alexander finishes their season 14-12.