The Lady Falcons won a physical contest over Southeast Raleigh at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville, 49-38, to advance to the East Regional final on Saturday.

Green Hope is now 30-0.

Southeast (23-5), which was allowing just 39.5 points per game, found itself struggling to score in the first quarter. The Bulldogs didn't score its first point until the 2:15 mark in the first quarter.

"We took some punches from them, they took some punches from us," Green Hope coach Michael Robinson said. "[The team has] battled all year. To get where they are is a testament to how hard they've played."

Green Hope led 14-4 after the first and 29-22 at half. Southeast shot just 34.7 percent for the game.

"I think we played hard. I never doubt the toughness my team has," Southeast coach Nicole Meyers said. "I think the difference tonight is we didn't play smart."

Southeast had gained momentum in the dying seconds of the third quarter, only down two and needing one last stop before the fourth.

But Green Hope sophomore Kristen Gaffney, who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, nailed a 3-pointer -- the first one in 10 attempts for the Falcons. Myers called it a "backbreaker."

"We hadn't made a 3-pointer until then. I think it took a little air out of [Southeast]," Robinson said.

The Falcons hit two more 3-pointers, one from freshman Ashley Williams (five points, seven assists) and another from junior Caitlyn Ranson (13 points, seven rebounds) to keep the Bulldogs at bay.

Green Hope also got a major contribution from junior Alyssa Paul, who had the unenviable task of trying to slow down Southeast center Aprill McRae. McRae (15 points, 13 rebonds, two blocks) was a force for Southeast, but the undersized Paul (eight points, eight rebounds, three blocks) held her own.

Green Hope will try to continue its unprecedented run against Enloe on Saturday for the 4-A East Regional championship. The Falcons defeated Enloe by three in their previous meeting this year, during Christmas break.

Before last year's run to the second round of the playoffs, the school had never owned a winning season.

"We're ready. I think we're ready to go," Gaffney said. "We're ready to make a state run and we've got one more game to get there. We're ready to go and get it."