The Grace Christian Academy Lady Cougars basketball team split their final two games in the Georgia Independent Schools Association Region 3-AA Tournament in Valdosta to earn the fourth seed in the first round of the State Tournament Tuesday, Feb. 24, at LaGrange Academy.

They took on Memorial Day School of Savannah, the second seed in GISA 2-AA, Tuesday. The winner will advance to the Elite 8 and face the winner of the game between LaGrange Academy and Piedmont Academy of Monticello Georgia Friday at 6 p.m. at LaGrange Academy.

They lost 55-42 to Valdosta’s host Georgia Christian School Lady Generals then came back to defeat Damascus’s Southwest Georgia Academy Lady Warriors 38-29.

Leading the way for the Lady Cougars against the Lady Generals were Kelsey Harrell with 20 points, Perra Harrell with 12 points and 17 rebounds, Kaitlyn Holcombe with eight points and Hannah Wynn with eight rebounds.

Lady Cougars coach Erwin Harrell said he was proud of his teams effort against the Lady Generals.

“We got off to a slow start against the Lady Generals then foul trouble hit us in the second quarter, but the ladies never stopped battling,” he said.

In their victory over the Southwest Georgia Academy Lady Warriors the Lady Cougars were led by Perra Harrell with 13 points and five rebounds, Kelsey Harrell with 8-points and 5 rebounds, Kaitlyn Holcombe with seven points and Lindsey Duke with 6 points.

“The game with Southwest Georgia Academy was hard fought with a lot of bumps and bruises,” coach Harrell said. “Neither team wanted to go into the state tournament as the fourth seed. We had a nice balanced attack. We were able to shut down their outside game and control the paint.”

The Lady Cougars enter the state tournament with a 24-10 overall record.