By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
VERONA – Miller’s trio of seniors continued their standout careers, scoring 42 points to lead the Cardinals to their fourth consecutive district title on Saturday afternoon at Verona High School.
Claudia Hadlock netted a game-high 19 points, Kaylee Helton added 14 and Payten Richardson had nine as Miller defeated College Heights Christian, 57-28, in the Class 2 District 12 title game.
Ranked third in the state among Class 2 schools, Miller enters the state tournament with a 23-3 overall record — and an astonishing 101-17 mark in the trio’s four years on the varsity team.
“To continue to do that for four years and not have very many slip-ups – and with the schedule we’ve played this year – it just gives all the credit to the girls for their determination, their grit and their want to be successful,” Miller coach Sean Price said. “Hands-down the best group I’ve ever been around and we just hope to continue to play more and more games this year.”
The win guaranteed them at least one more.
They will face Blue Eye (23-5) or Crane (17-7) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Carthage High School. The Bulldogs and Pirates were scheduled to play the District 11 title game later Saturday night.
Should Blue Eye prevail, it would set up a highly anticipated rematch.
Now ranked fourth in the state, the Bulldogs beat the Cardinals 31-27 on December 13.
That remains Miller’s only in-class loss of the season and just its second since the end of the 2019-20 campaign. Miller didn’t lose an in-class game last year until the state quarterfinals.
“We want to play Blue Eye again,” Hadlock said. “We want that game back. We want revenge on that game. We’re just excited to play that game. It’ll be fun, a good atmosphere. We can’t wait.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Competing against a College Heights Christian team without a senior on its roster, Miller’s experience showed throughout the afternoon. The Cougars kept things close early and trailed 20-12 after the first quarter, but Miller erupted over the next 16 minutes to blow the game open.
“Experience definitely helps,” Hadlock said. “I remember when I was a freshman, we were nervous to play in a district championship game. Now that I’m a senior, it’s different to play knowing that it could be your last game. You just have to give it your all and you’re not as nervous.”
The Cardinals held College Heights Christian to just five points in the second quarter and two in the third, stretching the lead to 54-19 before pulling Hadlock and Helton at the start of the fourth.
“I really felt like coming out in the first half, we didn’t play really good defense,” Price said. “That was one of our talks at halftime. We had to play better defense with more energy.”
The Cardinals heard the message loud and clear – and their lockdown defense created additional opportunities for Hadlock and Helton. After scoring just 17 points in the first half, the duo netted 16 of Miller’s 17 third-quarter points and set up a running-clock scenario for the majority of the fourth.
“They’re a phenomenal team,” College Heights coach John Blankenship said. “Their basketball IQ, collectively as a team, is very, very high. They know how to play the game and know how to rotate well on defense. They spread the court well. They drive and penetrate. They kick out to their shooters. They have five kids on the court that can shoot the 3-point shot. That’s a lot to defend.”
Particularly for a group with seven freshmen, three sophomores and just two healthy juniors — and you won’t see this young group of Cougars handing their heads after finishing the year 15-11.
“We made it to the district championship,” Blankenship said. “Our win-loss record has exceeded what many people expected from this group. I lost one of my junior guards to an injury a few weeks ago and so I’ve had a lot of young kids stepping up. I’m extremely pleased with their efforts, with what they’ve accomplished and I’m really excited about our future.”
The Cardinals are just as excited about theirs.
All but one member of this year’s basketball team won a volleyball state championship in the fall. And after last season’s 28-2 basketball season ended in the state quarterfinals, this group is hoping to be the team to take the school back to its first basketball Final Four since 2010.
“We were talking in the locker room about how this was our last district championship that we’re ever going to play,” Hadlock said. “We’re just excited and blessed. Just another opportunity to go play some more basketball.”
