Gruver 69, San Saba 29
The Gruver defense stepped up in a big way for the Lady Hounds in the second quarter.
Gruver forced 13 turnovers and scored 17 points off of those extra possessions along with Texas Tech signee Bailey Maupin tallying a team high 22 points in 25 minutes as the Lady Hound return to the state title game for the second time in three years.
“Once we got into transition, the game opened up.” Gruver head coach Trent Lankford said. “We’ve got multiple scorers on this team. I thought we did a good job of finding the open girl and knocking down shots. These kids can shoot the ball and they spend the time doing that. That’s big this time of year, especially on this stage.”
The Lady Dillos matched up well early, matching the Lady Hounds point-for-point early on, scoring eight points in the paint and being the key aggressor.
“[Gruver] had some nerves and they were trying to get used to what we were doing,” San Saba head coach Chris Jost said. “Offensively, they settled down first and got into their flow and hit some shots. Then, they were off and running.”
The second quarter was the Maupin show, where she scored 16 points in the frame and the defense scored 17 points off of eight turnovers, which paved the way for the Lady Hounds in a 40-point rout.
Stamford 68, Martin’s Mill 64
The size and athleticism for Stamford paid off in a big way.
The Lady Bulldogs won key 50-50 ball battles, won on the glass and shot seven-of 21 behind the arc as Stamford punched a ticket to their first state title game in program history with an 68-64 victory.
Martin’s Mill used a late fourth quarter surge in the final quarter of play, using a 14-1 run as they cut the lead down to 66-59.
The Martin’s Mill defense forced seven turnovers and scored five points off the turnovers as they fell short after Stamford closed the game out at the free throw line.
