The Clay County Lady Bulldogs’ season came to an end one game shy of the state championship game when they fell 63-42 against the Loretto Lady Mustangs at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro.
The Lady Bulldogs were unable to overcome an early deficit as their first trip to the state tournament since 2012 came to an end in the semifinal round.
“It’s a hard team to matchup with,” said CCHS head coach Matt Walker. “We shot 45% in the first quarter and 50% in the second quarter and we’re down 12 at the half.”
The Lady Mustangs raced out to an 11-4 lead with 4:31 to play in the first quarter. Karly and Kenzie Weathers (no relation), combined for 15 points in the frame as Loretto earned a 23-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Bulldogs were able to slow down the LHS offense in the second quarter, while also shooting 47% during the first half, but Miss Basketball finalist Karly Weathers buried a three and a layup late in the frame to push the Loretto lead to 34-22 at halftime.
The Lady Mustangs went on a 5-0 run early in the third quarter to extend the advantage to 15. The teams then traded baskets down the stretch, but LHS took a 49-33 lead into the final frame as the Lady Bulldogs got into significant foul trouble. The Lady Bulldogs fought, but were unable to gain momentum in the final frame as the Lady Mustangs secured the win.
“They’re a pretty good team, and we’re a pretty good team too,” said Walker. “Anytime you’re playing in the final four you’ve got a really good team. It means a ton to me for our community and our school to get on a statewide level and hopefully get some respect.”
Katie Arms led the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points. Freshman guard Bella Ashlock added nine and Rachel Copass tallied six.
The Lady Bulldogs finished the season at 21-11. While they will lose Arms and Rachel Copass to graduation, they will return several key players to next year’s squad.
“We’ve got a lot of good players coming back and hopefully they continue the momentum next year,” said Walker. “If you’ve got to go out, this is where to go out. This is the top of the mountain. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Photos by Noah McKay:
