Shallowater girls basketball ends title drought with win over Woodville in 3A final
In his 39 years as the head coach of the Shallowater girls basketball team, Chuck Darden has seen a lot of good players come and go.
But not many as talented as sophomore Bree Brattain.
Brattain poured in 29 points and had six rebounds in the 8th-ranked Fillies 61-43 dismantling of No. 3 Woodville in the Class 3A state championship game on Saturday at the Alamodome.
”She’s a coach’s daughter and just a gym rat,” said Darden of Brattain, who was the championship game MVP. “All of our girls just love to play basketball, but Bree is definitely one of the best I’ve coached especially offensively.”
Woodville (36-5) jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead, but Shallowater (39-2) chipped away.
Brattain gave the Fillies the lead for good at 9-8 on a fast-break layup after a steal from Taylor Moravcik with 1:27 left in the first quarter.
Guard Jenna Willer took over in the second quarter scoring seven of her 14 points helping Shallowater build a 29-16 lead at the half. Willer added a game-high four assists.
“To be honest they were just better than us today,” said Woodville coach Troy Carrell. “They out played us, they out worked us and I just have to tip my hat to them.”
Woodville was making its fourth state tournament appearance and had reached its third title-game. The Eagles were the runner up as well last season.
Carrell added that the defensive pressure put on by Shallowater took them out of their game by making it tough to even get off a shot.
Jordan Beaty finished with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, but Darden’s plan was to try to defend the high-octane guards for the Eagles, knowing Beaty would get some points down low.
Shallowater led by as much as 20 late in the game and Woodville was never able to cut the lead to single digits after the half.
The Fillies had a dominant 39-14 point advantage in the paint.
”I thought we played really well,” said Brattain, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Fillies’ semifinal win on Thursday. “My team got me open on those shots and it’s my job to finish. I just wanted to get that win for my girls, but I couldn’t have done it without my team.”
It was Shallowater’s second state title in seven final four appearances. The Fillies won it all in 2004 and have reached the title game five times.
“I’m just so proud to be the head coach of this program,” said Darden. “It means a lot. I’m getting pretty old, I’m not retiring, but when you kind of know that there’s not too many more chances left I think it means a little more.”