Shields' OT free throws give Lady Rangers first region title since 2018

ELIZABETHTON — In the first three meetings between Unaka and North Greene this season, the two teams were as close as could be. Wednesday's Region 1-1A championship was no different. The Lady Rangers, after winning the district title last week over the Lady Huskies, won in overtime at Happy Valley, 63-61. "It's a great accomplishment for them," Unaka head coach Kenneth Chambers said. "They've worked hard. Like I've said before, (the region championship) could have went to North Greene. It could've went to Cloudland. Even Hampton. Our conference is so tough." The two sides traded blow-for-blow in the overtime period, until the 1:48 mark when North Greene took a 61-59 lead at the charity stripe. From that point, Region 1-1A Tournament MVP Michelle Shields did what she's done all season long for the Lady Rangers (24-4), and that is score the ball. Shields got a midrange look from the elbow on the next Unaka trip down, and sank it to tie the game for the 13th time. With under a minute to go, the Lady Huskies (27-7) were called for an illegal screen and a costly turnover. Shields and the Lady Rangers took advantage by burning clock until the 30-second mark, when she took a triple. She missed, but Unaka came up with an offensive rebound. With 15.8 seconds left, Shields was fouled and hit both free throws with the Lady Rangers in the bonus, giving the District 1 champs a two-point lead. She finished the night with 30 points. "You have a lot of nerves down the stretch," Shields said. "We were down against North Greene last time by 20. That was something that, coming into the night, everyone was bought in. Everyone believed in each other. So even when things are tight, I know everyone believes in me. I have a bit of confidence taking those shots." North Greene had an opportunity to answer, but couldn't get a clean look before the horn sounded. The Lady Rangers got off to a slow start, as they went scoreless for nearly the first two-and-half minutes. The drought ended when Michelle Shields broke the seal with a 3-pointer, ending a 5-0 North Greene spurt to open the evening. They still struggled to find their gear by the 1:09 mark of the first quarter, when the Lady Huskies went on a 7-0 run to take a 16-9 lead. However, from that point through the rest of the half, it was all Lady Rangers. They out-paced North Greene 30-16 over the next nine minutes in change to lead by seven going into the locker room. Unaka's 3-point shooting was a major factor, as they made seven in the second frame alone. Four came from Emma Whitaker, who netted 17 points. "She's a spark plug," Chambers said. "She's a great ball player. She's not been with us a long time. Still understanding some of the stuff we're doing. But, if you give her the ball, she knows how to score. And she knows how to play defense. If she didn't score a point, her defense was still awesome tonight." The Lady Huskies went on another 7-0 run in the third quarter, which brought them back within striking distance in the final frame. With 6:45 left in regulation, Natalie Foshie hit a layup to tie the game. North Greene and Unaka traded blows for the remaining time of regulation. Cadie McDevitt led the way for the Lady Huskies with 17 points, Tralyn Southerland chipped in 13, Eva Leonard had 10. The Lady Rangers' win marks the first region championship for the program since 2018. They made the region final last season, but fell to the Lady Huskies. "The emotions are high right now," Shields said. "I know the community came out and really got us going. So I know the team, we just want to make everyone proud. It was a huge win for us and we're super excited." Up Next Unaka will Coalfield in the Class 1A Sectional on Saturday. North Greene will travel to Oneida on Saturday.