Canadian’s Mattie Boyd shoots over two Idalou defenders during a Region I-3A championship game in Frenship on Saturday. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
FRENSHIP— Idalou’s strong defense mixed in with an untimely cold shooting streak doomed No. 1 Canadian in a 52-39 loss in the Region I-3A Tournament championship at a packed Tiger Pit on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Cats went shot for shot with Idalou in the first quarter taking a 14-13 lead after a Briley Merket jumper. But little did Canadian or its fans know that’d be the final field goal for the Lady Cats for over 16 game minutes as Idalou seized complete momentum.
Idalou’s size of 6-foot Taylor Houston, 6-foot-1 Kira Fox, and a versatile 5-foot-10 Logan Heard forced Canadian out of the paint. The Lady Cats then went ice cold from outside in the second quarter not scoring a single point with Idalou taking a 21-14 lead into halftime.
“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Canadian head coach Aaron Marks said. “They shot the ball a lot better than we did even though we got some similar looks. They just knocked them down and we didn’t.”
Idalou (30-6) extended the lead in a hurry in third quarter thanks to eight quick points from guard Lily Moyers. Canadian’s shooting woes continued in the third only mustering four free-throws, falling behind 40-18 to start the fourth quarter.
The Lady Cats did make a run at Idalou in the fourth quarter finally hitting big buckets cutting the advantage to 47-36 with 2:37 to play, but never could knock the deficit down into single digits.
“It’s hard to win a game when you score four points in two quarters,” Marks said. “Idalou amped up their pressure, but we had some looks we just didn’t make shots. I thought they did a good job of scoring in the paint. Give them credit they are a great team.”
Heard was named Tournament MVP scoring 12 points in the win.
The loss doesn’t signify what Canadian accomplished this season. The Lady Cats finished 35-2 overall, carrying the No. 1-ranking in Class 3A for the majority of the year. Canadian’s 35 wins is also a school-record for victories in a season. Senior Mattie Boyd tallied 15 points against Idalou, accomplishing a special milestone in the process. Boyd, a four-year star for Canadian that will play for West Texas A&M next season, cracked the 2,000-point mark for her stellar career, totaling 2,005 points.
“Being a Lady Cat is about being a part of a team and a family,” Boyd said. “There is an undeniable pride and a sense of confidence, having grit, having integrity and working hard no matter what. You always put others before yourself, and never back down from any obstacle.”
Marks echoed Boyd’s comment.
“I’m proud of this entire team,” Marks said. “This game didn’t take away what we accomplished this year. “When it comes to Mattie, she means everything to this program. Her character, and her work ethic is second to none. She’s the kind of person you want leading your program. She’ll be missed, but she’s left a great example for the future.”
Canadian 14 14 18 39
Idalou 13 21 40 52
C— Boyd 15, Merket 6. I— Heard 12, Moyers 10.
Records: Canadian 35-2. Idalou 30-6.