By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There was no chance for an emotional letdown.
Coming off a thrilling win over five-time state champ Strafford 24 hours earlier, the El Dorado Springs Lady Bulldogs knew too much was at stake.
El Dorado Springs played like a team on a mission Friday afternoon, crushing South Shelby 61-26 in the Class 3 girls’ Show-Me Showdown championship game at JQH Arena.
“I can’t put into words what I’m feeling right now,” said El Dorado Springs guard Macie Mays. “It’s surreal.”
The people most excited about El Dorado Springs’s win may not even be on the current team.
Players from El Dorado Springs’s 2014 state championship team – the only other state title-winning team in program history – remain big fans of the program.
“I’ve been getting text messages from that group about how excited they are and how they can’t wait to watch us play here,” said El Dorado Springs head coach Beau Swopes. “Most of them were here today. The tradition of having those kids still follow our program, it’s great to have that. The excitement around the whole community is awesome.”
Senior forward Tevi Gurley led El Dorado Springs on Friday with 16 points. She shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
Teammates Reese Schaaf and Mays scored 15 apiece. Schaaf had a game-high nine rebounds.
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“We talked about coming here on a business trip,” Swopes said. “We had some business to finish up. This group’s been through a lot and they knew what was at stake today. This was a goal for a long time.”
El Dorado Springs dominated from the start.
The Lady Bulldogs led 15-3 midway through the first quarter, 24-7 entering the second and 43-11 by halftime. El Dorado Springs took control early with its full-court press.
South Shelby, ranked No. 8 in Class 3, didn’t crack double digits until the final seconds of the first half.
“We came out with a lot of energy and knew we only had 32 minutes left,” Mays said. “We were just going to go out and give it our all. That’s what helped us jump to a big lead like that.”
South Shelby (25-5 overall) shot 11-for-35 from the field, including 2-for-17 on 3-point attempts.
For the second day in a row, El Dorado Springs had a decisive advantage on the glass. The Lady Bulldogs out-rebounded South Shelby, 32-14; EDS grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.
“The girls played great,” Swopes said. “I was super excited about their defense today. They came out and did what they needed to do, without a whole lot of time to prepare.”
El Dorado Springs attacked the basket relentlessly in the first half. The Lady Bulldogs had a 24-8 edge in points in the paint before halftime; they also outscored South Shelby 15-0 in points off turnovers.
“We got out in transition today and when we’re in transition, I feel really comfortable with where we’re at,” Swopes said. “The girls like to play fast and we try to get into that mode as much as we can.”
El Dorado Springs finishes 29-3 overall and winners of 14 straight games. Swopes pointed to a Jan. 22 loss against Miller in the championship game of the Stockton Tournament as the turning point in El Dorado Springs’s season.
“We grew through that game and had two huge wins soon after, over Skyline and Strafford,” he said. “Sometimes, you need that loss to humble you a bit. The girls just kind of got back to work. They picked it up defensively at practice and in games.”
El Dorado Springs graduates three seniors in Schaaf, Gurley and Morgan Mitchell.
Said Schaaf: “From wanting this title for my high school career and Tevi and Morgan, we’ve been at it for so long and to finally get this championship is an amazing feeling.”
El Dorado Springs 61, South Shelby 26
South Shelby 7 4 11 4 — 26
El Dorado Springs 24 19 12 6 — 61
South Shelby (25-5 overall) – Miranda Patterson 11, Belle Roush 8, Emma Dovin 7
El Dorado Springs (29-3 overall) – Tevi Gurley 16, Reese Schaaf 15, Macie Mays 15, Neely Schaaf 7, Gracie Mead 4, Wriley Taylor 2, AbiGayle Schmitt 2
