Second-half comeback falls short for Atlantic Collegiate girls in title game
Atlantic Collegiate used a big comeback to make it to the Class 2A girls basketball championship game.
But a second one came up just short. Atlantic Collegiate missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer as Landrum came away with a 45-43 win Thursday at Colonial Life Arena.
It was the Cardinals’ first championship in program history and second title appearance in the last three years.
Atlantic was making its first championship appearance and seeking the school’s second team state championship in any sport. The Armada boys basketball team won the 2A title last year.
After the game, Atlantic players and coaches emerged from the locker room, many with tears in their eyes.
“The results didn’t go in our favor, but I am beyond proud of this team,” Atlantic interim coach Jordin Anderson said. “I just told them to keep their heads up. The job is still not over. Maybe it is for this season. … But we made history and did a lot of great things this year. I understand why they are walking away with their heads down because we aren’t walking away with a ring. But we accomplished so much.”
Atlantic advanced to the championship after rallying from an 11-point deficit to defeat Timberland, 52-43, in the 2A Lower State championship. The Armada found itself down again in the title game and trailed 33-22 at halftime to Landrum after Kylie Fortner’s 3-pointer to end the second quarter.
Atlantic steadily chipped away at the Cardinals’ lead and cut it to 39-36 heading into the fourth quarter. Landrum led 45-40 on Delaney Caldwell’s free throw with 32 seconds left.
But Erin Williams’ three-point play cut the lead to 45-43 with 27 seconds left. Atlantic fouled Caldwell, who missed two free throws, to give the Armada one last chance.
Anderson called timeout and called for a play to set a pair of screens to hopefully have a look at an open layup. The Armada’s execution of the play didn’t go as planned, but the ball ended up in Cayleigh Johnson’s hands in the corner. Johnson missed the 3-pointer as time expired.
“We had a run-around and that person should have been wide open because they were playing man defense,” Anderson said. “But I guess they saw something different and that was the result it ended in.”
Atlantic was just 1 of 11 from three-point range and shot just 27.6 percent. Micah Davis, who Anderson called the face of the program, led Atlantic with 13 points.
Landrum’s Caldwell led all scorers with 19 points and Fortner had 10.
“Winning the first-ever state championship is crazy,” Caldwell said. “But we just played for each other and that made it special.”
ACA: Blackmon 2, Capers 8, Micah Davis 13, Johnson 1, Garza 3, Willis 3, Collins 6, Williams 7
L: Delaney Caldwell 19, Kylie Fortner 10, Cain 3, Price 1, Bright 7, A. Caldwell 3, Schembra 2
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 5:19 PM.
