STATE CHAMPS: Liberty Christian Warriors defeat Second Baptist for State Title

It was an extremely physical and fast-paced match at Robinson High School on Friday, February 24th for the TAPPS 5A Girls State Championship match-up. The Liberty Christian Lady Warriors fought hard and set an early tone on the court as they posted a 46-34 victory over Houston Second Baptist to win the state title.

In the first half of the game, the Lady Warriors were the first to put points on the board. Not long after, though, the Second Baptist Lady Eagles pulled ahead to get their own lead in the game. From there, both teams moved swiftly on the hardwood as they fought to be the one to strike most often. It wasn't long until the Lady Warriors pulled ahead and set the tempo unwilling to look back. The offense delivered bucket after bucket while they pulled away and the defense was able to continue to fend off Second Baptist's attempts to score as the Lady Warriors led 24-14 headed into halftime.

Coming out of halftime lead by Emma Kay Martin, Marisa Martin, Lauren Ulrich, and the rest of the team, the Lady Warriors fought through adversity. With an electric atmosphere and the Liberty Christian fans already on their feet to cheer the Lady Warriors to victory. Through the third period, Liberty Christian's defense continued to hold strong against Second Baptist leaving room for the Lady Warrior offense to continue to pull away.

Late in the third period, Emma Kay Martin was pulled out after an injury on the court giving Second Baptist the opportunity to do whatever it took to play catchup on the court. The Lady Eagles were able to narrow Liberty Christian's lead a bit, but the Lady Warriors continued to play strong. As Jazzy Powell fouled out, Second Baptist narrowed Liberty Christian's lead down to only 10 points.

With the addition of junior Madison Gee on the court, the Liberty Christian Lady Warriors found continued energy on the court. Despite Second Baptist's continued attempt at a comeback, Liberty Christian never faltered. With the ability to finish strong on the court, Liberty Christian pushed through to the final buzzer in order cap their season with a victory!