By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It was a tough loss for the LaGrange Lady Grangers, but the good news is, there is still work left to do.

LaGrange fell to Sandy Creek 44-38 in the Region 5-AAAA championship match on Saturday, but it will be back home this week for the first round of the Class AAAA state tournament.

“I told them I know it hurts, it’s going to hurt, I expect it to hurt,” LaGrange head coach Stephen Tuck said. “But it’s got to hurt tonight, and let it hurt a little bit tomorrow to, but after that we’ve got to get back to work.”

Aryan Dozier led LaGrange with 14 points, Chnaireia Strozier added 11 points, and Madison Coverson scored eight points.

It was tied 10-10 after the opening quarter, and Sandy Creek led 25-21 at the half, and 35-30 after three quarters.

LaGrange, hoping to make a fourth-quarter run, was limited to eight points.

In the third-place game, the Troup Lady Tigers overwhelmed Central-Carroll 47-31.

Amber Gilbert led Troup with 15 points while making a pair of 3-pointers, and Jedda Madden added 10 points.

Jada Green contributed nine points, Kiya Fulton had five points, all in the second half.

The Lady Tigers were held to five points in the first quarter, but they were ahead 19-10 at the half, and 36-20 through three periods.