Richmond Heights’ boys’ basketball team and Perry’s girls’ squad experienced very different emotions on Friday.
The Spartans were elated after beating Dalton in a Division IV district final, 67-39, while the Pirates were crushed to see their first-ever run to the Elite Eight end with a 54-31 loss to Laurel.
Richmond Heights advanced to face Bristol in a regional semifinal on Tuesday.
Dalton played toe-to-toe with Richmond Heights for much of the first half as the Spartans led just 18-17 midway through the second. A 12-0 run to close out the quarter provided Richmond Heights will all the momentum it would need.
Priest Ryan led the Spartans with a game-high 29 points and Josiah Harris contributed to the win with 16. Jaiden Cox-Holloway also scored in double figures with 11.
The district title was the third straight for the Spartans.
Perry’s record-setting season came to an end with the loss to Laurel.
The Pirates, who reached the Elite Eight for the first time in school history, saw two players reach the 1,000-point mark while also setting individual school records.
Perry hung with the state-ranked Gators for most of the first half and a pair of Elle Infalvi free throws pulled the Pirates to within 22-19 in the third quarter.
The Gators then outscored the Pirates over the next stretch, 15-3, to put the game out of reach.
JaC’ana Anderson led Perry with nine points and Infalvi and Marcela Rodriguez each scored eight.
Perry closed out the year with a 22-5 record. The Pirates played in three straight regional tournaments.
