We’ve worked really hard to be in this situation. We finished the job. Forrest did a heck of a job. They were prepared. It took us a while to settle in. In the end, we hit big free throws, took care of the basketball and got enough stops.”

Viqueen coach Cody Pierce

UNIONVILLE — All season long, the Community Viqueens have been the top team in the District 7-AA standings.
In two previous meetings against Forrest (12-14), Community (22-7) posted convincing, double-digit wins over the Lady Rockets.
In their third meeting of the season in the District 7-AA tournament championship, the Viqueens took Forrest’s best effort and were able to stand tall for a third time against the the Lady Rockets and win the championship game, 53-43.
“We’ve worked really hard to be in this situation. We finished the job. Forrest did a heck of a job. They were prepared. It took us a while to settle in. In the end, we hit big free throws, took care of the basketball and got enough stops,” Viqueen coach Cody Pierce said.
Forrest’s game-plan was to play through sophomore post Cadence Chapman, but the Lady Rockets struggled to establish the offense in the half court during the first quarter and the Viqueens were able to catch several points in transition off Forrest turnovers.
Community jumped on the Lady Rockets in the first quarter and 2:12 into the game, the Viqueens held a commanding 9-2 lead.
Forrest proved scrappy, however, and was able to keep Community from growing the lead beyond seven points in the first quarter.
By the end of the first frame, Community held an 18-11 lead.
With virtually everything going the home team’s way, it was Forrest that was able to flip the script and rally for a 25-24 lead at the half.
In the second quarter, Community managed just six points—just three field goals by Zoey Dixon, Haley Mitchell and Shelby Cawthon.
While the Viqueens were limited to six points in the quarter, Forrest stormed ahead with the efforts of Chapman down low and a pair of timely 3-pointers by Megan Mealer.
After a big shot in the arm by Mitchell in the first quarter, who scored 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, Community just couldn’t get shots from the perimeter to fall.
Community appeared to buck that trend in the third frame with a 7-0 run that stretched over two minutes until M.J. Simmons scored on a drive to the basket with 4:15 left in the quarter.
But after Simmons’ score, Community struggled to get shots to fall.
With 55 seconds left in the third, Forrest’s Ryann Lewis drove the lane, hit a layup and picked up a foul in the process.
She completed the three-point play the old fashioned way and put the Lady Rockets up, 33-31, with under a minute left in the quarter.
Zoey Dixon ended a near four-minute scoring drought when she swished a trey through the nylon with 22 seconds to go in the period.
Community didn’t trail again.
Dixon followed and opened the fourth quarter with another 3-pointer to give the Viqueens a two-possession lead.
“In the first half and a lot of the third quarter, we didn’t hit those shots. I told them at halftime to trust yourself and trust your teammates. Those shots will start going in. They have all year. Just trust yourself. We hit some big three’s in the end and it made a difference,” Pierce said.
Community got three 3-pointers in the 19-point fourth quarter, with makes by Dixon, Addison Brothers and Breanna Whitaker.
After Whitaker drilled her 3-pointer with 2:01 left, Simmons came up with a steal off a Forrest in-bound pass and hit the layup to put Community up by 10 with 1:45 left in the game.
In the final two minutes, the game’s pace slowed dramatically as both teams hit the bonus and spent time at the charity stripe.
For Community, it was Simmons and Whitaker who combined for a perfect 6-of-6 attempts at the stripe in the fourth quarter.
Forrest got big production from point guard Macyn Kirby, who scored eight points in the quarter, and was also a perfect 4-of-4 attempts at the line.
In the end, the Viqueens were able to execute in the clutch and check off a season goal of winning the District 7-AA tournament championship.
While the Lady Rockets’ goal was to take advantage of the size in the post with Chapman and Lewis, Community’s defense kept Chapman in check for most of the night and Lewis struggled to stay on the floor while battling foul trouble.
“They’re a lot bigger than we are. They have two pretty good posts. It’s tough. You have to have good help side and we did have pretty good help side all night,” Pierce said.
Kirby’s 16 points was the lone Lady Rocket to reach double figures, but led all scorers on Friday night.
Community on the other hand put four players in double digits, with Mitchell and Whitaker knocking down 14 apiece.
Simmons and Dixon also added 10 as well.
Community took home plenty of season accolades as part of the run that led to the district title.
The Viqueens’ awards were highlighted by Simmons, who won the regular season district MVP, Whitaker, who won the tournament MVP and Pierce, who won Coach of the Year honors.
Friday night’s district title marked the 12th-straight by the Viqueens and guarantees a home Region 4-AA quarterfinal game next Friday.
All season long, Pierce and the Viqueens have had a series of goals and after Friday, Community has now checked off winning a regular season and tournament district title.
Community hopes to continue its win-streak into the region and check off another goal, as well.
“All year long, we’ve talked about we’ve had goals to with the district season, with the district tournament and our next goal is to win the region tournament,” he said.
In order to do that, Pierce says his team has to continue winning the battle off the glass and protect the basketball.
“We just have to continue to do what we do every game—play good defense, take care of the basketball and rebound,” he said.
Community will host the Region 4-AA quarterfinal on Friday at 7 p.m.

Forrest 11 14 8 10 — 43
Community 18 6 10 19 — 53

Forrest: Macyn Kirby 16, Addison Bunty 8, Meagan Mealer 6, Cadence Chapman 6, Ryann Lewis 5, Carli Warner 2.
Community: Haley Mitchell 14, Breanna Whitaker 14, M.J. Simmons 10, Zoey Dixon 10, Addison Brothers 3, Shelby Cawthon 2.
3-Point goals: Community (7): Dixon 2, Mitchell 2, Whitaker 2, Brothers; Forrest (4): Mealer 2, Bunty 2.
Halftime score: Forrest 25, Community 24.