COLUMBUS — Courtney Newton offered no excuses following Flowery Branch’s frustrating 52-47 loss to top-ranked Brunswick Thursday night in the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals.

“We turned the ball over and gave up too many baskets in the end,” said Newton, a first-year coach with the Lady Falcons. “When you can’t capitalize on your own offensive opportunities, it makes it hard.”

The Lady Pirates (30-2) outscored the Lady Falcons 21-9 in the fourth quarter, overcoming a 7-point deficit in the final eight minutes to earn a berth in the Class AAAAA semifinals.

Brunswick will next play Winder-Barrow at 3 p.m. Saturday at Columbus State University. It will be the first time the Lady Pirates have made it to the semifinals in program history.

“We’re clicking on all cylinders,” said Brunswick coach Maria Mangram. “It’s a game of runs. If you can control things when you’re up or when you’re down, you’ve got a good chance of getting what you want.”

Brunswick’s Symone Palmer led all scorers with 18 points, including 8-of-10 made free throws, while Jomaiya Garner added 12 points.

Garner tacked on her two fourth-quarter field goals to lead an 8-0 run that helped Brunswick take a 39-38 lead with five minutes to play.

Kierra Knight (6 points) knocked down a timely 3-pointer to regain the lead on the next possession, but the Lady Pirates converted nine of their 12 free throws in the final eight minutes to keep Flowery Branch at bay.

“We knew they would give us a run,” said Newton, who helped Flowery Branch last reach the quarterfinals during her freshman year as a player in 2003. “I’m still so proud of this team. This was a championship-caliber game, and I’m proud of them for what they’ve been able to do. They’ve done things that other Flowery Branch teams haven’t done before.”

The Lady Falcons (29-2) can look back on a historic season. Behind a five-strong senior class and several impressive underclassmen displays, Flowery Branch won its first region title in program history, earned its first Lanierland title in 13 years and enjoyed its most successful season in program history.

But the quarterfinals proved a bridge too far for the Lady Falcons, who were ranked No. 2 in the state ahead of the matchup.

A strong performance by sophomore Taniyah Worth (13 points) pushed Flowery Branch to a 19-10 advantage, the Falcons’ biggest of the night, with 6:35 left in the second quarter.

But seniors Palmer and Garner combined for nine of Brunswick’s 14 second-quarter points as the Lady Pirates fought back for a 24-24 halftime tie.

“Sometimes, teams think they have us, and then we come on and bite them,” said Mangram. “We’re just trying to keep on improving every game we play.”

Senior Maddie Hetzel (11 points) and Knight both connected on back-to-back treys as Flowery Branch started strong in the third quarter, but that lead soon dwindled as Brunswick reached the foul line 10 times in the second half.

Hetzel is a University of North Georgia signee, while fellow senior Breanna Locke (2 points) is a Lenoir-Rhyne signee.

Sophomore point guard Lexie Sengkhammee picked up six points, while junior Julianne Sutton added five for Flowery Branch.

“It’s a game of inches,” said Newton. “I was proud of (Taniyah), of her and Maddie and Kierra for hitting those shots. But it came down to turnovers and layups that they made and we didn’t.”

WINDER-BARROW GIRLS 51, MAYS 46: Sophomore Latrice Perkins scored 17 points, freshman Chellia Watson added 13, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa chipped in 11 Thursday night at Columbus State University to help Winder-Barrow reach the Class AAAAA state semifinals.

Winder-Barrow (25-6) will play Brunswick, who beat Flowery Branch later Thursday evening.

The semifinal game will be held 3 p.m. Saturday at Columbus State University. The Class AAAAA title game will take place 7 p.m. March 4 at the Macon Centerplex in Macon.

State quarterfinals
Class AAAAA
at Columbus State University

Brunswick girls 52, Flowery Branch 47

Class AAAA
at Fort Valley State University

Buford girls vs. Arabia Mountain, 6:30 p.m. Friday

Class AAA
at Augusta University

West Hall girls vs. Maynard Jackson, 6:30 p.m. Friday

Class A private school
at Kennesaw State University

Southwest Atlanta Christian girls 56, Lakeview Academy 47

Lakeview Academy boys vs. Whitefield Academy,  4:45 p.m. Friday