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The Canton Lady Warriors’ postseason run came to a hard-fought end Tuesday night, February 17, as they hosted the Southern Columbia Lady Tigers in the District IV Class AA quarterfinals. In a tight contest filled with momentum swings, clutch shots, and relentless defense, Southern Columbia pulled away late for a 40–33 victory to advance to the semifinals.
Southern Columbia struck first, with Macie Swank knocking down an early open shot to get the Tigers on the board. Canton answered quickly when Cailyn VanNoy buried a three-pointer, setting the tone for what would become a back-and-forth battle.
The Lady Warriors kept the pressure on, as VanNoy connected with Danah Wesneski for a baseline jumper. But the Tigers refused to let Canton build distance. Swank found another opening late in the quarter, tying the game at 7–7 by the buzzer.
In the second quarter, Canton’s offense began to click. A crisp pass from VanNoy set up Lydia Roupp for a three, igniting the home crowd. Swank responded for Southern Columbia with a breakaway layup, continuing her strong night. Still, Canton held the edge heading into halftime after Stella Rockwell faked a shot from beyond the arc, drove inside, and finished with a smooth underhanded layup to make it 17–13.
The third quarter proved to be a defensive grind. Olivia Jones sparked the Tigers by reading a pass and converting a breakaway layup. Canton answered when Davian Crowley recovered a near-steal attempt and turned it into points. By the end of the frame, Southern Columbia had inched ahead, 26–25.
Canton came out strong in the final quarter, with Rockwell draining a deep shot to reclaim the lead. The Tigers countered with a floater from Rosie Martino, keeping the game deadlocked in the closing minutes.
With the score tied late, Southern Columbia capitalized at the free-throw line, converting a series of foul shots to pull away and secure the 40–33 win.
Despite the loss, the Lady Warriors closed their season with a spirited performance and a memorable playoff run, demonstrating resilience and teamwork until the final buzzer.