The Lady Falcons, now 31-0, edged a gritty Enloe (22-8) team 54-53 at J.H. Rose High School to win the East Regional on Saturday. For the first time in program history, the team will have a shot for the state title when they face Matthews Butler on March 13 at Reynolds Coliseum.

"I think when we go home ... it'll kick in," Green Hope coach Michael Robinson said.

Before Robinson took over last season, the program had never had a winning season. He is 46-12 since taking over.

Green Hope announced its presence by jumping out to an early 10-3 lead in the first. But Enloe almost immediately knotted the game up before ending the quarter down 14-12.

Enloe was down 26-22 at half despite getting just zero points from sophomore Dana Brown in the second quarter.

The Falcons lost the lead for the first time in the third quarter as Enloe closed out the period with a 8-0 run to go up 38-37.

Brown, who scored 18 in the second half and had 28 for the game, smoked a 3-pointer to start the fourth and added a free throw to push the lead to 42-37.

Then the Eagles began to play keep-away with nearly seven minutes left in the quarter. The strategy was intended to bring Green Hope out of its zone — and that part worked.

The Falcons racked up team fouls as they abandoned their zone and began pressuring Enloe's young ballhandlers. Second-leading scorer Caitlyn Ranson fouled out of the contest with little more than six minutes left and her team still down.

But Enloe couldn't protect the ball nor hit free throws as well nor as long as coach Pina Baker wanted.

After a Kristen Gaffney free throw and basket, the Falcons were down two. Enloe had already missed the front end of back-to-back one-and-ones before freshman Mykia Jones lost possession out of bounds.

"We made a critical turnover, which turned the game. It's unfortunately, for us, been an issue this season," Baker said. "We turned the ball over and that kind of got them going again."

On the ensuing possession, Green Hope's Ashley Williams found junior Camille Forbes open for a looping 3-pointer that splashed down to make it 43-42 Green Hope.

After Jones basket brought Enloe to within one at 45-44, Green Hope spread the floor and let its star sophomore take over.

Gaffney, a 6-1 forward, took advantage and either scored a driving layup or got fouled. She scored nine of Green Hope's final 11 points, included the game-clinching free throw with 5.1 seconds left to go up four.

Gaffney was named the East Region's Most Valuable Player after recording a game-high 31 points and 16 rebounds.

"We just wanted it so bad, to be in the state championship for the first time for Green Hope," Gaffney said. "We just left it all out there on the floor. We held nothing back."

Also making the All-East team were Green Hope's Williams and Ranson, Enloe's Brown and Jones and Clayton's Vernessa Hinnant.