The No. 9-ranked Lady Devils simply devoured their overmatched opponents while breezing to a never-in-doubt 62-27 win in the opening round of the AA state tournament Saturday at the M-Dome.
Kiara Smith, the pregame honoree, led all scorers with 28 points in a performance that was perfectly befitting of her recent All-American nomination.
The victory, also buoyed by 14 points from Janaye Jasper, sends the three-time Region 7-AA champions into a Sweet 16 showdown against Wesleyan on Wednesday night at home.
“It’s a relief to get a win and move on,” said Model coach Sally Echols. “We hadn’t played in a week (since last Saturday’s victory over Coosa in the 7-AA tourney finals) and that was a concern. But the girls were very focused in practice this week, and they carried that over to today.”
That’s putting it mildly.
Fact is, the Lady Devils (23-6) absolutely dominated from start to finish. They forced 13 turnovers in the first quarter while building a 16-3 lead, and eventually led by as many as 36 points, 51-15, late in the third period.
All in all, fourth-seeded Marion County (17-12) was just no match for Model — and the Lady Eagles certainly had no answer for Smith.
The two-time Rome News-Tribune Player of the Year finished 11-of-20 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. She scored 13 points in the first half, and added 13 more in the third quarter before capping her memorable day with a layup early in the fourth quarter.
“We knew we’d have to be ready to play, no matter who we were facing,” said Smith, the senior wing, “and we came out focused today.”
Smith said she wasn’t aware the Model program was going to honor her before the game.
“It was a complete surprise,” said Smith, who was one of 1,000 players nationwide to earn the McDonald’s nomination. “And it means a lot to me.”
Saturday’s win was likewise meaningful for the entire Model team, which suffered an opening-round loss at home to Avondale last year.
“Today was very encouraging,” said Echols. “The girls stepped on the court with a goal in mind, and they showed they aren’t ready for this (season) to be over.”
Though the buzz of last week’s region title was still in the air at the M-Dome, the Lady Devils didn’t give in to the temptation of living in the past. Instead, they just rode the momentum of the recent title.
“We knew we couldn’t be satisfied with winning region,” said Smith.
Model’s defense set the tone by holding Marion without a field goal during an 11½-minute stretch in the first half. The Lady Devils outscored Marion 24-2 in that span.
Jasper started the surge with eight straight points, and Smith kept it alive with a 3. Alexa Evans eventually capped it with a pair of fastbreak baskets, as Model built a 29-4 lead. It was 35-8 at the half.
Smith then hit three 3s in the third quarter to help Model extend the advantage. The fourth quarter was trimmed from eight minutes to six by the Mercy Rule.
By that point, even the once-vibrant Model crowd had lapsed into a subdued mood — or perhaps they were just quietly taking in Model’s top-notch performance.
Either way, it was an impressive opening-round win for a team that looks capable of making a deep run.
“It was a good win,” said Echols, “but we have bigger goals ahead.”
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