STATE CHAMPS
Lady Cardinals beat Bethesda Christian in TAPPS 2A state girls game
Thursday, March 10, 2022
by Mark Lube, Gazette Sports Editor
Victoria Advocate Article | Cardinal Basketball | St. Paul Cardinal Sports Home Page
STATE FINAL ... ST. PAUL 31, BETHESDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 26
The Lady Cardinals basketball team won their first state championship since 2017 after defeating FW Bethesa Christian School 31-26 Friday ( March 4, 2002 ) in West. Bottom row from left are Kate Ehrig, Seryna Garza, Rebecca Wagner, Taylor Wauson, Julie Davis and Emily Pilat. Top row from left are assistant coach Allie Kutac, assistant coach Nicco Brown, Samantha Moeller, Maurin Knesek, Brooke Cerny, Julia Barecky, Avery Pesek, Dallyn Pesek, Emily Moeller, Julia Machacek, Anna Reeves, head coach Jake Wachsmuth and assistant coach Dr. Tim Wagner. Photo by Mark Lube, Shiner Gazette.
[ click photo to enlarge ]
WEST - After an ecstatic start, the St. Paul Lady Cardinals had to dig down deep to hold off Fort Worth Bethesda Christian Academy 31-26 in the 2A state game at West High School on Friday evening ( March 4, 2022 ) .
"We had a good start. A really good start," Lady Cardinals head coach Jake Wachsmuth said. "Then the game began to get very tough and the girls found a way to win."
The second quarter was one of those rough spots as the Lady Cardinals scored just three points, all from the line, and still posted a 16-15 lead.
In the third period, Bethesda Christian was unable to land a single point while St. Paul sank seven points.
"We had to battle through a lot; I loved our start; I loved our battle when things were not going our way," Wachsmuth said.
Seniors Rebecca Wagner, Julie Davis, Kate Ehrig, Seryna Garza, Emily Pilat and Taylor Wauson earned a state title in their last game to wear a St. Paul jersey. It was St. Paul's first state title in girls basketball since 2017. The Lady Cardinals also played in the state game in 2018 and 2021.
"Those seniors led this team. In this game and the state semifinal game, they all contributed by scoring or making a defensive play. It's very deserving for them to play their last game in the state championship," Wachsmuth said.
"This team was amazing. We came together and were a family. Great to win state in our final game," Wagner said. "We had lots of ups and downs this year but we are a close family and got the job done," Davis said. Anna Reeves hit two triples while Wagner, Ehrig and Davis all made buckets in St. Paul's 13-0 run to open the game.
The Lady Ambassadors made their first bucket at the 2:04 mark of the quarter and ended the frame with four straight points.
Bethesda opened the second box with three of the first four points and then went on a 8-0 run, highlighted by two triples, to take a 15-14 lead. Wauson hit two free throws to put St. Paul ahead 16-15 at halftime.
"Bethesda was a great team to play and they were great competitors," Wagner said.
"It was great we came out on top in a close game and excited to end this season this way," Davis said.
In the third quarter, St. Paul was led by Ehrig who scored five points and Davis dropped in two points as St. Paul outscored Bethesda 7-0. In the fourth quarter, Hailey Clagg recorded seven points to help the Lady Ambassadors get within 27-24.
A Wagner free throw put St. Paul up 28-24 and Bethesda made a shot to get within 28-26. St. Paul then hit three free throws down the stretch to complete the game.
St. Paul 31, FW Bethesda Christian 26 1 2 3 4 F Bethesda Christian 4 11 0 11 -- 26 St. Paul 13 3 7 8 -- 31 FW Bethesda Christian: Hailey Clagg 12, Avery Robinson 6 3pt-2, Keely Mitchell 6, Cienna Turner 2. St. Paul: Rebecca Wagner 11, Kate Ehrig 7, Anna Reeves 6 3pt-2, Julie Davis 4, Taylor Wauson 2, Seryna Garza 1.STATE SEMIFINAL ... ST. PAUL 56, HARVEST CHRISTIAN 42
Wagner led St. Paul with 21 points with Ehrig and Garza scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively, in the Lady Cardinals 56-42 win over Edinburg Harvest Christian in the state semifinal Thursday ( March 3, 2022 ) at Waco University High School.
St. Paul led 18-11 after the first frame and Harvester went on a 14-10 run in the second to cut the Lady Cardinals lead to 28-25 at halftime.
St. Paul scored 8 of 14 points in the third box and put the game away with a 20-11 run in the fourth quarter.
Wagner had seven assists, five steals, two rebounds; Ehrig added nine rebounds, two steals, one assist. Davis had two rebounds, one block. Pilat had four rebounds, one assist, one steal. Garza recorded three rebounds, one assist, one steal, one deflection. Wauson had one rebound. Reeves had one assist; Julia Machacek had three rebounds, one assist.
1 2 3 4 F Harvest Christian 11 14 6 11 -- 42 St. Paul 18 10 8 20 -- 56 St. Paul: Rebecca Wagner 21, Kate Ehrig 13, Seryna Garza 11, Julie Davis 6, Emily Pilat 4, Taylor Wauson 1
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Mark Lube is the sports editor for the Shiner Gazette.
Contact him at 361-594-3346 or shinersports@sbcglobal.net |
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