Unaka found themselves on the wrong end of a heartbreaker on Wednesday night.
The Lady Rangers were unable to answer a last-second shot by North Greene as Unaka fell 44-42 in the Region 1-A Championship game at West Ridge.
The Lady Rangers will travel to Coalfield on Saturday for a substate matchup.
After North Greene jumped out to an 11-2 lead to open the game, Unaka battled back with 3-pointers from Michelle Shields and Ari Sutherland. That trimmed the NG lead to 11-8 after eight minutes of play.
Shields opened the second quarter with a bucket, but North Greene was able to push the lead out to seven points. Shields and Keyona Hague countered shots by the Lady Huskies to stay within striking distance as UHS trailed 25-17 at the half.
Unaka took momentum to open the second half.
Lauren Lund opened the quarter with a 3-pointer, and Brooklyn Campbell added a 3-pointer of her own to pull UHS within three. After a Lund bucket, Katlyn Dugger hit a 3-pointer to give Unaka its first lead of the night with 4:15 left in the third after an 11-1 Unaka run to open the half.
North Greene scored the next five points, but Sutherland stopped the run with a jumper. Dugger hit a 3-pointer as time expired to tie the game at 33-33 after three complete quarters.
Kaydence Marshall opened the fourth quarter with five straight points for North Greene, but Unaka answered as Shields and Lund hit back-to-back shots. Hannah Miller added a pair of free throws for NG.
After Shields added a jumper with 2:40 to play, Kalli Sheperd hit a 3-pointer to give Unaka a 42-40 lead with 1:53 to play in the game.
Marshall added a free throw for North Greene with 59 seconds left. The Lady Huskies were able to regain possession after a UHS turnover, and Mercy Buchanan hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to lift the Lady Huskies into the lead. Unaka was unable to connect on a last-second shot.
Shields recorded 16 points to lead Unaka. Lund and Dugger finished seven and six points, respectively.
Shields, Lund, and Campbell were selected to the All-Region team.
Miller scored 14 points to lead North Greene, while Marshall finished with nine points. Miller was selected as the All-Region MVP, while Ella Head and Loren Blevins were named to the All-Region team.
For more photos, click here.
