Up four points with 1:07 to play, Bravettes lose a state championship heartbreaker

Kizzi Walker and the Baldwin Bravettes didn't come all this way for second place.

That much was written all over the coach's face following Baldwin's 51-47 loss to Griffin on Wednesday afternoon in the GHSA Class AAAA state championship game.

It was an absolutely heartbreaking loss for the Bravettes, who were winning for nearly the entire game and held a 51-47 lead with just 67 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

GHSA President Robin Hines presents the runner-up trophy to Baldwin Head Coach Kizzi Walker.

Modern basketball often is about the three-pointer, and Wednesday's state championship game was a case study. The Lady Bears scored 27 points on nine three pointers, while Baldwin shot 0-for-9 from behind the arc. If the Bravettes made their three pointers at an average clip, or even a slightly below average clip, they'd be state champions now.

Now, however, the cold hard reality is that the Bravettes' state championship drought continues for another year, dating back to 1988. Wednesday's game was reminiscent of the 2001 state championship game, which featured the Tasha Butts/Marquita Driskell duo, when Baldwin led for most of the game before being shocked in the final minute by Beach High out of Savannah.

Sophomore Janaye Walker dominated with 21 points and 19 rebounds in defeat, while fellow twin tower Kassidy Neal added 12.

Click this PDF –> Report_462134_2023-03-08_175305.pdf for a ridiculously detailed recap of the game provided by the GHSA.

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