Coming into Tuesday night, it had been 25 years since the Memorial Lady Matadors hosted a first-round playoff game. The fifth-ranked Lady Matadors made the most of the return of postseason basketball to the Mata-dome with a 57-45 win over Twiggs Academy. The Lady Matadors never trailed.
“Having our home crowd here to cheer us on was awesome. It keeps us focused throughout the game,” said Lady Matador Coach Emon Grayson. “[Hosting a playoff] means a lot to me. Last year we were 2-18, so to be able to host a playoff game, and win the game, it means a lot.”
Memorial was led by freshman Lillie Brown (24) and eighth grader Johnkeria Miles (21), who matched Twiggs Academy’s point total with 45 points between them. The tandem scored all 17 of the Matadors’ points in the first quarter without missing a shot until a buzzer-beater attempt. Despite these efforts, Twiggs Academy was able to battle back to cut the lead to one score in the fourth quarter.
Following a timeout called by Coach Grayson, Brown and Miles teamed up to score 18 of the Lady Matadors’ final 20 points, effectively matching Twiggs’ entire team total during that stretch.
“[During the timeout], I just told them to lock in,” said Coach Grayson. “Just because we’re in the lead, a whole quarter of basketball is a lot of time.”
In addition to her 21 points, Miles’s leadership was apparent on both ends of the court.
“The good part is, when it comes to knowing she’s an eighth grader, I know I have her for four more years,” Grayson said. “She’s already a natural-born leader. Her teammates rally around her. She’s the heartbeat of this team.”
Next for Memorial is an elite eight-matchup with Robert Toombs at noon on Friday, February 21, at Stratford High School in Macon. The teams have met four times this season, with the Lady Matadors leading the season series 2-1.
MEMORIAL DAY SCHOOL 57, TWIGGS ACADEMY 45
TWIGGS (45)
Lavender 8, Megan Favors 13, Stevens 4, Youmans 8, Lynn 3, Nobles 9
MEMORIAL (57)
Lillie Brown, 24, J. Brown, 7, Jankeria Miles, 21, Edwards 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| TWIGGS ACADEMY | 10 | 5 | 16 | 14 | 45 |
| MEMORIAL DAY SCHOOL | 17 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 57 |
|
RECORDS: Memorial Day 13-8, Twiggs Academy 6-16 |
|||||
MEMORIAL DAY SCHOOL LADY MATADORS
2024-25 Roster
| # | PLAYER | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lillie Brown | Fr. |
| 3 | Macey King | So. |
| 5 | Jalynn Brown | Jr. |
| 10 | Johnkeria Miles | 8th |
| 11 | Julianna Toub | Jr. |
| 13 | Nike Pflueger | Jr. |
| 15 | Nyla Edwards | So. |
| 21 | Kailey Protsman | So. |
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Emon Grayson,
Assistant Coach: Jamyrie Bradley
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy the Prep Sports Report
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