Shallowater’s quest for a second state title in the past three years fell short, as Hitchcock proved to be too much, pulling away from the Fillies for a 60-46 victory during the UIL Class 3A Division I state championship game Friday at San Antonio’s Alamodome.
It was the first state championship in program history for the Lady Bulldogs (27-7) while the Fillies finish a fantastic season at 29-8.
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“It just wasn’t our day,” Shallowater head coach Kurt Richardson said. “Hitchcock played extremely well and hats off to them. We had some looks, but they never went down. Hitchock made it hard on us, but I’m proud of this team. They never quit and kept fighting like they did all year. We have an awesome group of young ladies and seniors. They have bought in from the time I’ve walked into the door. These seniors have left their mark with the tradition at Shallowater.”
Shallowater trailed 15-10 after the first quarter, however, Hitchcock used a quick 7-0 run to jump out 22-10 on a Vasia Farris 3-pointer with 6:17 left to the half. The Fillies did their best to cut down the deficit, getting it to 29-20 at the break.
The third quarter is what turned the game and put the Fillies in too much of a hole. The Lady Bulldogs came out hot, going on a 10-0 run, making it 39-22, a lead that Shallowater couldn’t recover from.
“They just outplayed us,” Richardson said. “Hitchcock was really good on the boards and buried their free-throws. They only played seven players, but it’s incredible what they can do. We weren’t able to get up and down like we wanted and they were making shots.”
Hitchcock’s Taryl Jones was named Class 3A Division I game MVP. Jones finished with a double-double, scoring 18 points, 12 boards and two steals.
Shallowater’s Emma Clawson had a team-high 11 points with eight rebounds. Teammate Keelie Williams poured in 10 points with five rebounds and a pair of assists.
For a look at the full boxscore, please visit https://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/state-basketball/boxscores-girls/26GB3AD1.pdf