Lady Rebels End Season with Semifinal Loss

WAYNESBORO (March 3) — The McKenzie High School Lady Rebels ended their season Monday with a 62-28 loss in the semifinal round of the Region 6A Girls Basketball Tournament to the tournament host Wayne County Lady Wildcats.

Despite the loss, the Lady Rebels’ season was inspiring to watch unfold. Expectations were low for the young team from the onset of the season, and a series of injuries decimating the roster in the early weeks could have set the table for increasing pessimism. But the remaining nine players persevered and improved by leaps and bounds down the stretch.

The Lady Rebels’ final record of 14-16 only tells half the story. They were 4-2 in district play in the regular season and nearly pulled off an upset to claim the district title.

Among the wins were some gritty performances and thrilling finishes. Even in defeat (which mostly came at the hands of high-ranking or higher classification teams), they earned the respect and attention of their opponents.

McKenzie girls basketball will surely be on some radars for the next several years. The future looks bright for the young squad, with freshman phenom Jaycee Stafford as the centerpiece of a dynamic offense loaded with scoring threats.

It was certainly a bittersweet ending for the team’s lone senior and two-time state champion Sophie Pate. Pate’s selfless play on the court brought out the best in her teammates, and her contributions came in many forms.

In the down-to-the-wire district championship game, it fell to Pate to commit a foul to give her team a chance in the final minute, knowing it would send her to the bench with five fouls.

She followed that by hitting six three-pointers in McKenzie’s region quarterfinal win a few days later. Though not written in stone at the time, it would turn out to be her final game on her home court. The cozy lead she helped build allowed Coach Dru Emerson the luxury of taking Pate out of the game in the final minute in a classic “curtain call” moment to thunderous cheers and applause from the red and gray faithful.

Wayne County Lady Wildcats 62, McKenzie Lady Rebels 28
The Lady Wildcats jumped out to a 22-3 lead after the opening frame, led by Blair Baugus with ten points, including a three-pointer. Emma Bryant scored six, Presley Daniel had four points, and Mary Grace Littleton had a pair. Lady Rebel Jaycee Stafford hit a three-pointer.

Wayne County built the lead with a 16-6 advantage in the second quarter, led by Daniel and Lou Prater with five points each, Prater with a three. Baugus scored four, and Bryant added a pair. Stafford led McKenzie with four points, and Braylin Auvenshine had a pair. At the half, Wayne County led 38-9.

The Lady Wildcats had an 11-10 edge in the third, led by Daniel with four points. Bryant hit a three, and Baugus and Prater each added a pair. Stafford scored seven for the Lady Rebels with a three-pointer, and Ava Hastings also hit a three. Heading into the final frame, the Lady Wildcats led 49-19.

Wayne County capped the win with a 13-9 tilt in the fourth, led by Baugus with five points. Daniel scored four, and Prater and Littleton each added a pair. Stafford scored four McKenzie points. Molly French hit a three-pointer, and Aurora Johnson had a pair.

Lady Wildcat Blair Baugus led all scorers with 21 points, including a three-pointer. Presley Daniel scored 17, and Emma Bryant had eleven with a three.

Jaycee Stafford led McKenzie with 18 points, including a pair of threes.