By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For one quarter, McAuley Catholic took the fight to two-time defending Class 1 state champion Walnut Grove.
The Lady Warriors, backed by a boisterous fan section and an effective 2-3 zone defense, held a seven-point lead on Walnut Grove’s home court.
The Lady Tigers weren’t fazed.
Walnut Grove used a big second quarter to take control and race past McAuley 66-44 on Saturday afternoon in the Class 1 girls’ state quarterfinals.
Senior point guard Faith Gilkey, a Southwest Baptist University signee, led the way with a game-high 28 points.
“I was proud of the way our kids responded. There was no panic,” said Walnut Grove coach Rory Henry. “They weren’t scared at all. We just knew we had to find that answer. Eventually, we’d break over that hump.
“(McAuley) did a great job coming out and taking us out of our game with their zone defense. It took us a while to figure out how we wanted to attack it. I thought we settled early on and we didn’t have our legs under us. But credit to (McAuley) – they came out ready to play.
Walnut Grove will play Jefferson (Conception), which co-ops with South Nodaway, at 8 p.m. March 12 at JQH Arena in Springfield in the Class 1 semifinals.
It’s the ninth time in 10 seasons that Walnut Grove has reached the final four. The Lady Tigers have won five state championships in that span – and go for No. 6 next weekend.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Walnut Grove senior forward Lauren Johnson. “I’m excited we’re going. I’m going to cry happy tears but also (sad) tears with it being my last games.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Saturday’s game took a decisive turn early in the second quarter when McAuley’s starting point guard, Gliza Damaso, suffered a knee injury and did not return.
With Damaso out, Walnut Grove seized its opportunity. The Lady Tigers erupted with 19 unanswered points.
Makayla McVay made a pair of 3-pointers that ignited the run. Johnson hit a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer.
Walnut Grove’s seven-point deficit turned into a 32-21 halftime lead. The Lady Tigers went on to outscore McAuley 22-11 in the third and cruised to victory.
“I felt like the tempo switched to our favor,” Henry said. “That’s what we have to do – get up and pressure. We also played a lot more zone this game than we normally do and I thought we did a heck of a job with that.”
Damaso is one of just two seniors on the McAuley squad and fills a vital role.
“She’s our point guard,” said McAuley coach Michael Howard. “She definitely would’ve helped us out in that second quarter when Walnut Grove made their run.
“She’s a senior, so I feel so bad for her that she had to go out like this. What a kid. She’s an amazing athlete. She truly helped our program out this year.”
The first eight minutes had the visiting Lady Warriors thinking upset.
McAuley jumped out to a 17-10 lead and handled Walnut Grove’s full-court press.
“That first quarter was probably the best we’ve played all season,” Howard said. “To do it against the No. 1 team in the state, you couldn’t ask for more.
“I told our players before the game, ‘We have nothing to lose. We’re the underdogs, obviously.’ We had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
McVay (18) and Johnson (17) combined for 35 points for Walnut Grove.
It was Johnson’s second game back since she suffered a sprained ankle two weeks ago. The Evangel signee sat out Walnut Grove’s district tournament.
“I’m not at a 100 percent yet – I was getting pretty tired toward the end today,” Johnson said. “But I’m much better than I was.”
From her coach’s perspective, Johnson hasn’t played like someone who’s recovering from an ankle injury.
“Lauren’s last two games may have been the best she’s played all season,” Henry said. “She’s done really well. She’s battled through that ankle injury.”
Saturday also marked the first time under Henry that Walnut Grove hosted a state playoff game.
“To be able to do this on our home floor in front of our how crowd, it was great,” Henry said. “We had a great crowd today. Walnut Grove’s always going to come out and support. This is a unique gym with a great atmosphere. To be able to (play this game) here, it was fun.”
McAuley, a private school in Joplin, ends its season 20-9 overall.
The Lady Warriors repeated as district champions and surpassed the 20-win mark for the third straight season. Before this current run, McAuley had not won a district championship since 2007.
The Lady Warriors figure to remain a contender next season. McAuley graduates just two seniors – Carmen Colson and Damaso – and has four starters eligible to return.
“We’ll look back at this game and know we can compete with the best teams in the state,” Howard said. “We have high hopes in the future that we can get back to this game and hopefully it’ll be a different outcome.”
Walnut Grove 66, McAuley Catholic 44
McAuley Catholic 17 4 11 12 — 44
Walnut Grove 10 22 22 12 — 66
McAuley Catholic (20-9 overall) – DeRuy 18, Teeter 14, Williamson 5, Black 4, Cahalan 3
Walnut Grove (23-4 overall) – Gilkey 25, McVay 18, L. Johnson 17, J. Johnson 3, Hailey 3
