Lady Mustangs Fall in Final Four
With CAC leading 41-40 with 5:30 left in the game, the Huntsville Lady Eagles (34-2) scored ten unanswered points in the next three minutes to take a 55-49 decision over the Lady Mustangs in the Class 4A semifinals in Dumas.
Kelsey Hatcher scored 26 of CAC's 37 points in the first three quarters before being held scoreless in the final period, but it was the Lady Eagles' three-point shooting that was the difference as four players hit a total of ten treys for the game.
Senior Jordan Henderson finished with ten points while sophomore Linzy Elkins had seven and junior P.D. Elliott chipped in four points. CAC ends the season with a 27-5 record and their fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four after winning the last three state titles.
Lady Mustangs Exterminate Lady Jackets
Down 11-7 at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Mustangs erupted for 17 second-quarter points and never trailed again on the way to a 52-43 victory to advance to their fourth Final Four in four years.
After going scoreless in the first quarter, Kelsey Hatcher scored seven straight points to start the second quarter, and her three-point play tied the game at 14-14 with 5:49 remaining in the half. Jordan Henderson then scored on an assist by Hatcher, and Hatcher scored two more times before joining starter Mary Ann Vincent on the bench with three fouls with 2:37 left in the second quarter and CAC leading 20-16.
Entering the third quarter with a 24-21 lead, Jordan Fisher provided some breathing room by hitting a three-pointer just a minute into the second half, and the Lady Mustangs began to pull away as Hatcher scored six straight points and Fisher hit another trey. Callie McAlister's jumper from the short corner gave CAC a 38-26 lead with 2:26 left in the quarter and their largest lead of the game.
With a ten-point lead starting the final period, Clinton refused to come out of their zone and CAC capitalized with patience as neither team scored until Hatcher hit a three-pointer for a 41-28 lead with 4:40 to go in the game. But Clinton would not surrender as they hit three three-pointers in the final four minutes to pull as close as 43-38 with 2:28 remaining. Hatcher and Henderson then combined to hit nine of ten free throws the rest of the way to seal the victory.
Hatcher finished with a game-high 26 points while Henderson scored 12 points for the Lady Mustangs. Fisher and P.D. Elliott added six points each.
CAC (27-4) now plays Huntsville (33-2) at 12:00 p.m. Saturday in Dumas in the semifinals with the winner advancing to next week's state championship game at Hot Springs' Summit Arena.