Coach Ashley Allen celebrates the Lady Green Wave’s sub-region win against Central-Coosa.

As he guzzled a lemon-lime Gatorade after last Friday’s sub-region playoff, Ashley Allen looked uncharacteristically disheveled.

But the usually dapper coach of Leeds’ Lady Green Wave didn’t seem to care.

“I’m nauseous,” he said.  “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Neither had the school’s basketball fans, who joined him in celebrating the one-point win that advaned the Lady Green Wave to the Class 3A Central Region semi-final.

While a 54-26 loss to Greensboro on Monday eliminated Leeds from post-season play, Danyelle Everson’s game-winning jumper with two minutes left in a memorable come-from-behind win against  Coosa-Central, 43-42, in the sub-regional playoff still stands as a superior accomplishment.  

It has been a few seasons for the Lady Green Wave to advance as far as the Sweet Sixteen in the state playoffs. But, it was not easy. The team overcame a seven-point deficit with just over three minutes to go in the game.   

Leeds found themselves behind early as Coosa Central came out and built a 22-16 lead by halftime.

Things starting looking bleak for the Lady Green Wave as they started the third quarter on a cold streak. Coosa took advantage, going on an 8-2 run, and building their lead up to 12 points, 30-18.  

The pace slowed down a bit, which seemed to be to the Green Wave’s favor.  Leeds chipped away at the Coosa lead and were back to within striking distance until a bucket at the buzzer lifted Coosa back up to an eight-point lead, 36-28.  

With one quarter left – and possibly the last quarter of their season – the Lady Wave went to work. The first points of the quarter came on a Tomi-Kate O’Neal steal and layup, cutting the deficit back down to six, 34-28. Breanna Allen followed with a rebound and put-back to cut the lead to only four points and forcing a Coosa timeout.   

Every time the Lady Wave cut the lead to four points, Coosa had an answer, including a big three-point basket that put them up by seven points 39-32 with 4:35 left.    

The Lady Green Wave didn’t quit and managed to cut the lead to five points with 3:20 left in the game. After a turnover, Leeds got the ball back and went to Fucisha Stephens in the low post who hit a mini-hook shot to cut Coosa’s lead to only three points, 42-39, with 3:08 left.  

Camille McNeely made the next big play, outhustling a pesky Coosa guard for a steal and then taking the ball coast-to-coast for a bucket, cutting the lead to only one point, 42-41 with 2:25 left in the ball game.  

Coosa Central soon found themselves at the free throw line with an opportunity to add to the lead. But, the Coosa shooter missed both and Leeds pulled down the rebound on the second miss.    

Leeds worked the ball around until they found Everson who took the shot, which found the basket for the Lady Wave’s biggest single shot of the season so far. The jumper gave the LHS a 43-42 lead with 2 minutes left in the game.  

The last two minutes of the game had to be long ones for the Lady Wave and head coach Ashley Allen’s career. Coosa had five chances to take the lead, three of them coming in the last 16 seconds. But, the Leeds’ defense, held its ground and secured the victory, 43-42.   

Camille McNeely was stout on defense for the Green Wave in the fourth quarter.  

Fucisha Stephens led all scorers with 19 points, including seven huge points in the final quarter.  

Allen also had a big game with eight points, six of them in the third quarter to keep the Lady Green Wave close.  

Tomi Kate O’Neal had six points in the game. O’Neal and McNeely worked together on the defensive end in the backcourt to shut down the Coosa Central guards in the fourth quarter.