VALDOSTA — On March 6, 1980, the Lowndes Vikettes defeated Northeast of Macon in the Class 4A state finals at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta, stretching their consecutive win streak to 119 games.
Great Vikette teams have come and gone since, but not have reached the championship game in the 44 years since then. Today, the 2023-24 Lowndes Vikettes have a chance to make their own history.
At 5 p.m. at Georgia State University, Lowndes (22-4) takes on Grayson (30-0) in the Class 7A semifinals. The winner will take on either Cherokee or North Paulding in the finals, set for March 9 in the Macon Coliseum.
Lowndes is in their first semifinal since 2014, when they fell to Archer at Georgia Tech. Between 1980-2024, four squads have made it to the penultimate round, but none broke through. The 2014 came closest in an 11-point loss. The 2001 year was arguably the cruelest as Valdosta fell in the final four as well.
The Vikettes have quietly made their way through the brackets this season. None of their state victories have been blowouts; Milton was the closest as an 11-point decision. The Vikettes three wins at state have been by a combined 22 points, including their last second 57-56 win over Carrollton in the sweet 16.
Aryana Thomas had a huge second half against Milton, scoring all 16 of her points after intermission. Kaci Demps added 15 as the Vikette defense shut down the Lady Eagles.
Their run has been even more remarkable considering the coaching shakeup in February, which saw Courtney Parker Fleming take over as interim ahead of the Region 1 tournament. The Vikettes defeated Colquitt County in the finals. Like the others, it was close, a 47-43 final.
There has been nothing close about Grayson games this season.
The Lady Rams are 30-0, the only undefeated girls team left, regardless of classification.
Average score of Grayson games in 2023-24 is 71-40. In state, it’s only been slightly closer: 70-40. Grayson took care of Lowndes’ 1-7A rival, Richmond Hill, in the opener (74-50), then chewed up two 7A blue-bloods in the next two rounds, McEachern by a 76-31 score and Norcross at 59-38.
Grayson’s lineup includes Danielle Carnegie, a Georgia Tsch commit who has more than 2,000 points for her high school career. Carnegie scored 34 in the second round, personally outscoring McEachern.
For fans making the trek to Atlanta, on-site parking is $15. Georgia State has a clear bag policy. The game will also stream on NFHS Network.