Without Olivia Cochran, Carver girls basketball looks ahead to Troup and the Final Four
The Carver girls basketball team is about to learn what its made of, and will do so in the Final Four of the GHSA state playoffs.
The Tigers are two wins from a second consecutive state championship, but they are without their star player the rest of the way. In the Tigers win over Woodward in the Elite 8 on Tuesday, senior Olivia Cochran picked up two technical fouls in the heated game. Because of the technicals, she’ll be suspended for the next two games.
GHSA spokesperson Steve Figueroa told the Ledger-Enquirer Wednesday morning that per Cochran will miss both the semifinal and, should Carver make it, the state title game.
“We’ve got to figure out how to do things the right way,” Hundley said Tuesday night.
The “right way” means not making “silly mistakes,” Hundley said. The Tigers’ free throw shooting down the stretch proved to be the difference against Woodward, although the team’s full-court press it deployed for much of the contest left lots to be desired.
With Cochran sidelined, the pressure now increases on the rest of the Tigers’ lineup ahead of Carver’s Final Four matchup with Troup (2 p.m. EST, Fort Valley State).
MORE THAN THE ‘OLIVIA SHOW’?
Cochran, a McDonald’s All American, Louisville signee and the only Carver player to ever have a jersey retired, will be missed deep in the playoffs. However, Hundley insists the Tigers are deeper than just Cochran, who led the Tigers with 23 points against Woodward.
Four Tigers players scored in double digits, including junior guard Kionna Gaines who had 14 points, in that game.
“We’re going to play, and we’re going to do what we do,” Hundley said Tuesday. “We’re looking to win. ... We’re going to keep it moving. Everybody plays a part on this team, not just Olivia Cochran. We’ve all got to pull together and figure out what’s our next step.”
The Tigers may be more than the “Olivia Show,” as Hundley called it, but her absence leaves a gaping hole in the interior of Carver’s lineup.
Cochran’s size — she’s 6-1 — typically opens up the rest of the offense since she draws so much attention. Defense was a problem for the Tigers on Tuesday, as they could never fully settle into their full-court press. Had the War Eagles made even a third of their shots in the second half, the final score would’ve looked quite different.
Style points don’t matter at this point. But it will likely take a much different performance to get past a talented Troup team in Friday’s semifinals.
“As long as you win, you get to keep moving,” Hundley said.
TALENTED TIGERS
Troup boasts its own do-it-all player.
Freshman forward Alexcia Murphy scored 25 points against McDonough in the Tigers’ 58-48 Elite Eight win on Tuesday. Murphy, according to the LaGrange Daily News’ Kevin Eckleberry, did most of her damage inside, as Troup held off a late McDonough charge.
Murphy, like Cochran, can both play inside and knock down outside shots. Teammate Aniya Palmer is averaging 10 points per game this postseason, and Amber Gilbert averages 13 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Troup lost just one game this season and went undefeated in the regular season. Its only loss was against Sandy Creek in the second round of the region tournament.
“(The team) knows what to do,” Hundley said. “They know what to do, and they know how to do it. They did what they were supposed to do (Tuesday) so we could get a win.”
