GREENSBORO -- There is little flash to the Northwest Guilford girls, no added flair to get you even halfway out of your seat.
Just a relentless onslaught like the one that took down Grimsley 47-25 Friday and vaulted the Vikings into today's Pizza Hut Invitational final against third-seeded Ragsdale, which beat Page 36-30.
"(Grimsley head coach Hank Bullard) told me, 'We knew exactly what your girls were going to be doing, we just couldn't stop it because they execute so well,' " Vikings head coach Darlene Joyner said. "That's something we preach: Doing the simple things well."
Today becomes a double shot at revenge for the Vikings. They lost 56-38 to Grimsley in last year's title game, and one of their two losses this year came against Ragsdale on Dec. 12, when the Tigers rallied from a nine-point deficit to win 70-59.
"They're excited," said Joyner, who is 2-2 in the finals and is making her fifth appearance in six years.
"One of their goals was to avenge the championship game, and this is another opportunity against Ragsdale we would not have had."
The Vikings sprinted to a double-digit, first-quarter lead for the second straight night, then exploded it by outscoring the Whirlies 10-0 in the second.
"That's a classic example of one team executing to their fullest, and us not," Bullard said.
Only one player scored more than seven points for Northwest, and that was sophomore Michelle Williams, who came off the bench to score 12 in 14 minutes. The Vikings had 11 assists to Grimsley's four, 16 free throw attempts to the Whirlies' eight and a seemingly never-ending assault on the fast break.
"They weren't really getting back on defense, so we knew we had to take advantage," said point guard Hannah McIntosh, who had five points and four steals.
She was one of 10 Vikings with a steal.
Denika Harden had nine points for the Whirlies, and Raxanne Henshall had seven points and nine rebounds.
Grimsley played the Vikings within a point in the second half, it was just too little, too late.
"We're making some progress," Bullard said of his team, which lost all five starters from a year ago.
The Vikings won consecutive titles in 2003 and 2004. They lost in the finals to Dudley in 2005 and to Grimsley in 2007, both by 18 points. They could become the first team to take three titles in six years since Western Guilford won four straight from 1992-96.
"I'm ready for some payback," McIntosh said.
Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com.
|
Grimsley |
|
6 | 0 | 11 | 8 | -- | 25 |
| Northwest Guilford | |
17 | 10 | 11 | 9 | -- | 47 |
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