To the victors belong the spoils. With a 47-27 win over South Point on March 2, the North Adams Lady Devils made it back-to-back Southeast District Division III District championships and will play in the Sweet 16 on March 6. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

To the victors belong the spoils. With a 47-27 win over South Point on March 2, the North Adams Lady Devils made it back-to-back Southeast District Division III District championships and will play in the Sweet 16 on March 6. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

<p>North Adams’ Harlee Brand hits this runner on the baseline for two of her eight points in the Lady Devils’ district championship win over South Point on Saturday. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

North Adams’ Harlee Brand hits this runner on the baseline for two of her eight points in the Lady Devils’ district championship win over South Point on Saturday. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
<p>North Adams senior point guard goes up and under a pair of South Point defenders in action form the Lady Devils’ district title win on March 2 in Waverly. Jones scored 10 points as her career now stretched to the Division III regional tournament for the second consecutive season. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)</p>

North Adams senior point guard goes up and under a pair of South Point defenders in action form the Lady Devils’ district title win on March 2 in Waverly. Jones scored 10 points as her career now stretched to the Division III regional tournament for the second consecutive season. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

Winning district tournaments is becoming the norm for the North Adams lady Devils. Coach Rob Davis and his North Adams squad have captured three Division III district titles in the last five seasons, the latest coming last Saturday afternoon in the familiar downtown Waverly Gym, in front of the also familiar large contingent of Lady Devils faithful filling the bleachers.

For this district championship, the Lady Devils faced off with the South Point Pointers, with a trip to the “Sweet 16” on the line. When you face Coach Davis’s team, you better be prepared to face a team that is going to pressure you from start to finish and run through the walls if that is what needs to be done. South Point found that out first hand on Saturday, especially in the second half, as the Lady Devils built an eight-point halftime advantage, then increased it to 10 after three quarters, then totally blew the game open in the final period, winning 47-27 to claim their second consecutive Division III district crown.

After his second consecutive district title, Coach Davis spoke to C103 Radio amidst the postgame celebration.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said the North Adams head coach of 24 seasons. “We knew south Point was big, athletic and physical but I thought we met the challenge and did the things we worked on all week. We got rattled sometimes but I though we did a great job taking care of the basketball and finally started making some shots.”

“We knew we could get the ball up and down and they would eventually get worn down. We got in some foul trouble and I thought our bench came through for us. These girls deserved this win.

>Want the rest of the story? Pick up your copy of the March 6 edition of The People’s Defender or better yet, get your subscription started today so you won’t miss any of Adams County’s best coverage of news and sports! Call 937-544-2391 and have the Defender delivered to your door!