West Forsyth all-state candidate Jenna Staiti served as a facilitator with a couple of nice assists in the opening minutes of the Wolverines’ Class AAAAAA quarterfinal matchup with Cherokee.
Once she started scoring, she was too much for Cherokee to handle. The 6-foot-5 senior, who has signed with Maryland, recorded a triple-double (35 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocked shots) and scored all but seven of the Wolverines’ final 42 points in a 49-39 victory Friday at the University of West Georgia.
“If you talked to Jenna, she probably felt like she didn’t play very well tonight,” West Forsyth coach David May said. “She missed some shots that she usually makes, but she had such a size advantage. I told them that we’re old school, and when you’re a lot bigger, just pound it inside.”
No. 10-ranked West Forsyth (25-6) will make its first semifinal appearance in school history at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Carrollton. The Wolverines are the champions from Region 6. Cherokee, the Region 5 runner-up, finished the season 26-6.
Cherokee took its only lead of the game at 5-4 on a 3-pointer by Havyn Wilson midway through the first quarter, but Hayla Seitz answered with a 3-pointer to reclaim the lead. That’s when Staiti took over. She scored 17 consecutive points for the Wolverines as they increased the lead to 24-10.
West Forsyth had a double-digit lead throughout the second half, reaching a 19-point advantage at 36-17 on two free throws by Staiti with 1:24 to play in the third quarter. Cherokee’s Jacqui Riggins and Kaila Morgan made 3-pointers in the final minute to cut the final margin to 10 points.
West Forsyth’s only other points in the final three quarters came on a field goal by Kale Schlegel late in the first half, a third-quarter 3-pointer by Jane Ortlip, and two free throws in the fourth. Schlegel finished with six points.
Wilson and Lacie McCoy led Cherokee with nine points each.
