Gruver uses late free throws to get past Muenster and wins first state championship
Sophomore Kami Whitehead had missed her only two free throw attempts when she got to the line with six seconds left.
The game was tied at 39.
Whitehead knocked down both tries as Gruver defeated Muenster 42-39 in the Class 2A state championship game Saturday at the Alamodome.
The Lady Hounds (38-2) won their last 17 games to capture their first state title in program history. It’s the third basketball title for the school. The boys won in 1950 and 1966.
“Coming here before and not finishing, and taking home the gold, this one means the world to these girls and the community,” Gruver coach Shannon Fisher said. “There has been a lot of support even from people with no kids in the program. They did what they had to do to bring that thing home.”
Muenster (36-5), in its third finals appearance and looking for its first title, trailed 28-23 when a Brenna Butler layup was good for Gruver with 7:29 left.
But the Lady Hornets took a 32-30 lead with five minutes to play when threes from Martie McCoy and Annie Anderle, and a 3-point play by Kaitlin Hennigan found the bottom of the net.
Andi Salgado’s jumper tied it for Gruver and then Camryn Armes tied it at 34 with 2:45 left.
Armes, who was named title game MVP with a game-high 16 points, hit a three to push the Lady Hounds in front 37-36 and then two free throws made it 39-37 with 1:26 remaining.
Muenster tied it at 39 on a Sarah Monday layup.
The Lady Hornets still had a chance, but turned the ball over twice in the final 10 seconds which led to Gruver’s free-throw attempts.
“We did a pretty good job on our defensive game plan. We came down and hit big free throws,” Fisher said.
Gruver led 10-8 after the first quarter, but Muenster tied it at 17 at intermission.
The Lady Hornets were led by McCoy’s 13 points and Hennigan’s 10.
“It was in our grasp and it kind of slipped out,” said Hennigan, a senior.
“Defensively, I thought we did a good job,” Muenster coach Chris Hightower added. “We made it tough on them. They hit some big shots.”
