Columbus girls survive subpar night, advance to second round

Columbus’ first-round playoff game on Friday was nothing short of a struggle.

The Lady Blue Devils shot poorly from the field for most of the first half. Rebounding was a key issue that continually hounded the taller Columbus squad, along with missed free throws. Every time it looked like Columbus could close the door, an errant pass or loose ball proved otherwise.

But at a point in the season when it’s win or go home, Columbus’ effort proved enough to survive.

The Lady Blue Devils defeated Burke County 69-49 in what was a subpar showing for the home team. Still, Columbus (21-5) got solid performances from Tatyana Wyatt and Ariyah Copeland to overcome its issues.

Wyatt led all scorers with 29 points and added seven rebounds. Copeland, meanwhile, had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Columbus head coach Joe Cherrone knew the 20-point victory left much to be desired from his team.

“Honestly, I don’t know (how we won),” Cherrone said. “We played terrible. We came out flat and turned the ball over. God knows how many free throws we missed.”

Burke County (14-11) failed to ever take advantage of Columbus’ play, but the game still hung in the balance going into the fourth quarter. That’s when the Lady Blue Devils found a semblance of the offense that propelled them to their 20 previous wins.

Columbus’ 22 points in the fourth quarter erased what chance Burke County had to head home victorious.

“They were able to pull it out with a little bit of drive, a little bit of effort and their will of not wanting to go home,” Cherrone said. “That’s probably what put us over the hump.”

Cherrone traced the team’s overall struggles to a lack of execution. He said the team was unable to get into its sets or run plays on offense; defensively, the players found themselves pushed around and unable to close.

In spite of the errors, the Lady Devils move on. Columbus plays the winner between Troup County and West Hall next.

In order to keep the season alive, Cherrone understands the team cannot afford a repeat performance.

“We have to be able to execute, come out with a lot of energy and a lot of mental toughness,” Cherrone said. “If we have to go on the road, that’s what it’s going to take to get to the third round.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Columbus girls survive subpar night, advance to second round."