Girl’s Basketball Final Four Run
By Blake Bethard
It has not been but a year since we witnessed the undefeated boys basketball team make a run in the final four for a shot at a state title. They had the team and all the fans they needed to make them a state championship team. They had it all till the end of the game when they lost by 4. Every tiger fan was devastated and just wanted to witness their tigers win a state title in basketball. Now the wait maybe over but this time it’s the girls turn to put their names in the record books as the 2017 state champions.
The lady’s have had an amazing season so far and that would continue with them in the playoffs. With North losing, who was undefeated and was a favor to win districts, the tigers now realized they had a chance. One more game and the district title was there’s. It would not come easy for them though as they were facing Belton who just beat Lee’s Summit North by 1. It was a back and forth game all the way to the end. With under 2 minutes left senior guard Paige Elston would bring the ball down and drive in and did not see anything and want to reset. Now with 1:30 left she would get her instructions from head coach Jessica Crawford. Paige would then find Jr. Clair Lock in the corner who hit a clutch three to put them up by 4. Again though Belton was not out of it as they would come down and get a and one to bring this game within one. It would get pretty scary toward the end of the game when some tigers could not make their free throws, but they would come out on top.
Skipping past their big win against North Kansas City they are now one game away from the Final Four. Park Hill during the regular season had beat us by four in a game that could’ve been questioned by some of the calls that the refs were making but, that’s in the past. Park Hill being a very tough opponent and a great three point team was down to the tiger at the end of the first half 32-27. Again though park hill was not out after taking the lead early in the 3rd. Tigers defense though would start to take over toward the end of the 3rd going up 43-39. With their season on the line park hill again would start to come back and be within 1 with one minute left in the game. A great free throw shooter Claire Lock was fouled out early in the 4th so it was up to the other tigers to make clutch free throws. Paige Elston would take that role making all but one of her free throws with .17 seconds remaining. They would continue to send her to the line and she would continue to make them securing the game for the tigers 57-53. Sending them to the Final Four exactly one year after they watched the boys do the same thing.
The game is this Friday in Columbia Missouri at the Mizzou arena. If they win that game then they will go on to play in the state championship on Saturday at eight pm. The tigers wanna bring back a championship and want to see every tiger fan there for it.
