By Payton Hannah (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Walnut Grove Lady Tigers defeated the Wheatland Lady Mules in the Class 1 District 6 tournament title game on Saturday, with a final score of 32-22.
The Lady Tigers entered the contest as the number one seed, having easily defeated Halfway in the semi-finals and boasting a 20-5 record on the season. The Lady Mules, the number two seed, came into the game with a 20-6 record. Earlier in the season, these two teams met on Valentine’s Day, with Walnut Grove securing a decisive 43-18 victory.
There was no love lost between these two rivals as the game kicked off with intense physical play from both sides. The first quarter was a defensive battle, with both teams excelling on the boards and creating turnovers. Lady Tiger senior Jacie Gavisk secured multiple offensive rebounds and delivered a highlight-worthy chase-down block midway through the quarter. Wheatland responded with strong play from forward Kiarah Blation, who was a force in the paint, grabbing several rebounds and shutting down Walnut Grove’s inside game. Despite the physicality, Walnut Grove managed to knock down two crucial 3-pointers, taking an 8-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF THE GAME
The back-and-forth battle carried into the second quarter until Wheatland took its first lead of the game with an and-one layup by Katharine Murphy. However, the Lady Mules’ lead was short-lived, as Walnut Grove quickly responded, reclaiming a 15-13 advantage heading into halftime.
The second half kicked off with a three-point shootout, as Walnut Grove’s Kelli Albert drained her second long ball of the game, only for Wheatland’s Charley Crouch to answer immediately with one of her own. Walnut Grove capitalized on aggressive drives to the rim, drawing fouls and earning trips to the free-throw line, which helped extend their lead to 24-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Albert sparked the Lady Tigers’ offense by draining another deep three, bringing her to a game-high nine points. Her clutch shot fueled a 4-0 run, pushing their lead to eight. From there, the Lady Tigers played keep away and shut down any late rally from Wheatland, despite a strong effort from Blation, who finished with eight points. Walnut Grove captured the victory with a final score of 32-22 and secured their second straight district title.
“It feels good. Obviously, this isn’t all we’ve set our sights on and we have bigger aspirations, but it feels good,” Walnut Grove head coach Rory Henry said. “These kids have played hard, and they’ve worked hard. We didn’t exactly play the way we wanted today, but credit to Wheatland, they did a great job and took us out of what we wanted to do.”
Walnut Grove is gearing up for a deep playoff run, with help from senior guard Ellie Smith, whose remarkable toughness has been evident as she continues to play through an injury, refusing to let it slow her down.
“The win definitely gives us a lot of confidence and excitement going forward,” Smith said. “But, you know, now we’re going to look toward the next victory and just keep working forward to see how far we can get. For the seniors it’s our last chance, and we’re going to give everything we have this year.”
The Lady Tigers will travel to play Hume in the sectional round on Tuesday.
Walnut Grove: 8-7-9-8—(32)
Wheatland: 6-7-7-2—(22)
Top Performers
Walnut Grove: Kelli Albert 9, Jacie Gavisk 7, Ellie Smith 5, Maeli Holman 5
Wheatland: Kiarah Blation 8, Katharine Murphy 5, Charley Crouch 5
