Olympia girls hoops edges Cypress Creek in first round of state playoffs

ORLANDO — Sophomore forward Taylor Hair hit a shot with four seconds left in regulation to propel the Olympia girls basketball team past Cypress Creek in the Class 8A Region 1 Quarterfinals, 42-40, on Thursday.

The big-time shot capped a frenzied second half that saw the Titans (21-6) lose and regain the lead multiple times. Olympia struggled with turnovers and that allowed Cypress Creek (10-14) to keep it close, but the Titans also shot the ball well down the stretch — highlighted by two 3-pointers keying a pivotal 8-2 run in the fourth quarter.

"A win is a win is a win,"  head coach Robert Carmody said. "It was ugly — we turned it over probably 20-plus times tonight. ... "The three ball won it for us and turnovers almost lost it for us."

Umesha Beckwith had 10 points for the Titans, also, and Cypress Creek was led by 16 points from Tacaya Bryant.

Olympia will now take to the road to face Boone on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Class 8A Region 1 Semifinals. The Titans defeated the Braves back on Jan. 15, 49-44.

It is the first time the Titans have advanced this far since 2011 and a win would put Olympia in a regional final for the first time in program history.