The North Hall girls basketball team trailed by six points midway through the third quarter in its quarterfinal matchup with Walnut Grove on Thursday.

Behind 17 second-half points from 

Taylor Swoszowski, however, the Lady Trojans (19-7) were able to come back for a 57-46 win to advance to the Region 8-AAA semifinals, which will be played against Gainesville at 4 p.m. today, and clinch a spot in the state playoffs.

Swoszowski, who was dealing with a death in the family earlier this week, led the team on both sides of the floor, North Hall coach Kristi House said.

“She stepped up,” she said. “She was the heart and soul, and really came out to lead us on her home court. I’m really proud of her performance.”

Swoszowski finished with a team-high 18 points in the game. Mary Kate Rushton added 12, and McKenna Rushton scored nine and notched 12 rebounds.

As a team, North Hall outscored Walnut Grove by 10 points in the second half en route to the win.

GAINESVILLE 34, STEPHENS COUNTY 22: Rebecca Webster scored 14 points and the Lady Red Elephants outlasted Stephens County in the second half to advance to the semifinals of the Region 8-AAA tournament. The win gave them a berth in the state playoffs.

“I’m excited for our seniors to get another chance at state,” Gainesville coach Brenda Hill-Gilmore said.

Gainesville will play North Hall today with a chance to advance to the region finals on the line.

“(North Hall) is playing really well,” Hill-Gilmore said. “It’s going to be a tough game. We have to play smart.”

The game is at 4 p.m. today at Gainesville.