Lee-Scott wins state championship

MONTGOMERY — Lee-Scott’s Olivia Maddox, Melissa Maddox and Jessie Washington had enough pent-up energy to power a small city before the Warriors’ AISA AAA title matchup with Taylor Road on Saturday.

They rocked back and forth. They moved from side to side. They hopped up and down. They did anything but stand still during the National Anthem and pre-game introductions.

“I can’t sit still,” Olivia Maddox said. “I get adrenaline going and I just can’t stop.”

As soon as the opening whistle blew, Lee-Scott’s big three transferred that energy into powering the Warriors.

Washington and the Maddox sisters combined to score all but 5 of the Warriors’ points in a 71-48 win over the Tigers at Huntingdon College.

Washington shrugged off any memories of her 3-for-16 performance in Friday’s semifinals by swooshing a 3-pointer 27 seconds into the game.

She made a carbon copy 18 seconds later, then found Melissa Maddox by the basket as the top-ranked Warriors ran out to an 8-0 lead.

Washington made nine 3-pointers — giving her 127 on the season — and finished with 32 points, earning tournament MVP honors.

“I’ve always been able to tell with her early the way it comes off her hand,” Lee-Scott coach Chad Prewett said. “And those barely even touched the net. They were just drained.”

When Washington took a rare break from nailing shots, Melissa Maddox was there to pick up the slack.

Maddox scored 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 14 in the third quarter that put the game out of reach.

Maddox said most of her points came by accident.

“I was thinking, ‘Look for Jess, look for Jess, where is Jess,’” she said. “And I don’t know; the opportunities presented themselves.”

Even though the Warriors (28-2) got out to an early lead, the No. 7 Tigers (16-10) did not go away immediately.

Lee-Scott went up by 10 in the first quarter, but the Tigers cut the lead to 5 by the start of the second.

The Warriors went up by 14 in the second quarter, but Taylor Road had the lead back down to 7 at the beginning of the third.

Then Lee-Scott went on a 21-6 run to take a 54-32 lead and put the game away. Washington scored 9 and Melissa Maddox scored 8 during the run. Olivia Maddox and Ashley Leonard chipped in the other 4.

“I felt it then,” Washington said. “We were going to be state champs.”

Olivia Maddox, though still hobbled by a knee injury, provided constant defensive pressure during the Warriors’ spurt. She finished with 5 points, five assists and three steals.

She said she’s going to the doctor to get the knee checked out next week. If she can find time for it between three soccer matches.

“She would’ve gone out there with a broke leg tonight: she’s just that kind of player,” Prewett said. “She’s our emotional leader, no doubt about it.

“Olivia Maddox has kind of been our heartbeat all year.”

Washington and the Maddox sisters made up the Lee-Scott contingent on the All-Tournament team.

Taylor Road’s Lay Watts scored 23 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and did a large part to keep the Tigers within shouting distance in the first half. Caitlin Walp added 11 for Taylor Road.

The Warriors’ championship comes after two years of frustration in the Final Four. Lee-Scott lost by 2 last season and 1 the year before, both times in the semifinals.

“We’ve worked so hard this whole year because we know what it’s like to get so close and not get it,” Washington said. “We just put it all out on the court every single day at practice, and we got it done.”

Prewett said it couldn’t happen to a better group of players, including his senior class of Washington, Leonard, Olivia Maddox, Emily Hodges and Alex Mullins.

“To be able to win it with the type of girls we won with,” Prewett said, “for a coach, it just makes it real satisfying.”

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