Lipan 33, Chireno 24
If you have not heard of the name Maggie Peacock, the state got an introduction of her scoring ability.
The standout 6-0 junior scored the first 11 points, all in the first quarter and came in key in a big way for the Lady Indians, who advanced to their first state championship game appearance since 2016, topping Chireno, 33-24.
Chireno used a 10-2 run to tie the game at 14 with 3:45 left in the first half and played solid defense in their final two quarters, holding Lipan to single digits, but were unable to see the lead throughout the game.
Lipan rode a 6-0 run throughout the third quarter, but the three from Taylor Clark was a key stretch for the Lady Indians at the 4:03 mark to keep the Lady Indians in front and advance to championship Saturday.
Nazareth 43, Veribest 23
It was a battle of a team that had the experience of performing on the big stage while one team was on the big stage for the first time in school history and putting their town on the basketball map.
The Swiftettes stormed to a 16-2 lead in the first quarter after Veribest scored the opening points in the game from Cora Blackwell, and used the defense, in which the 23-time state champions scored 11 points off turnovers in the opening frame.
The Lady Falcons play did impress in spurts, but were overshadowed by the stellar defense and experience for Nazareth, as they advance to another state championship game.
With standout senior post Cambrie Heiman sitting out, the bench stepped up in a big way, with sophomore Addie Dyer leading all scorers with 13.
As they met in their previous meeting on December 13 with a 50-42 victory over the Lady Indians, the key will be the Lipan defense and shutting down the Nazareth guard play.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 a.m., Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. You can tune in on the live steam via NFHS Network.
