Lady Cougars’ historic season comes up short to Southern Lab

HAMMOND – Katie Hall looked up at the scoreboard inside University Center as a proud head coach.

The final score read Southern Lab 67, Cedar Creek 57 in the Division IV select state championship – ending the Lady Cougars’ season just short of even more history and an upset for the ages. But Hall wasn’t focused on those numbers. Her Lady Cougars did more together than most they could going up against the defending state champions who came in outscoring their playoff opponents 231-43.

All she saw were four of her players in double figures compared to just two for Southern Lab. Creek got to Saturday’s title game by being a team all season long.

Facing the defending champions and trailing by double digits in the second half on multiple occasions, didn’t change who these Lady Cougars are. That’s all Hall could ask for after leading Creek to its second state championship appearance ever.

“I looked up at the scoreboard at the end while we were waiting for the presentation, and I loved seeing the double digits next to the players on the floor. That’s what I’m proud of,” Hall said. “That’s been our thing for the whole year and that’s why I love this team. It’s not just one or two players. Any five could step up any given night. They’re a special group. I’m honored to be their coach.”

Cedar Creek (29-4) put up a better game than most opponents have given the Golden Kittens in the postseason, especially after Southern Lab won its semifinal game over Ouachita Christian 68-16 in a defensive onslaught with 54 points off Eagle turnovers.

Creek gave the Kittens one of the best battles anyone gave them all season, leading 15-12 after the first quarter thanks to a red-hot start from junior point guard Taylor Martinez, who flashed for 8 early points as she got to the rack and hit a pair of threes. Southern Lab looked overwhelmed at first, shooting 1-10 from the field with 3 turnovers halfway through the first period.

The Lady Cougars, by playing together and believing they could do what many called impossible, kept the Kittens from taking a lead until it was 16-15 Southern Lab. And they kept punching back, even as the Kittens began to find their rhythm offensively.

Martinez and Alivia Lee answered for Creek, pushing the Lady Cougars ahead 25-19 on swift drives to the cup.

But Southern Lab brought out the championship DNA that the Lady Cougars knew would come at some point, ending the half on a 13-3 run over the final 5:06 of the half, led by two three-pointers from Kori Wesley to push the Kittens ahead 31-26 at the break.

Martinez had 11 at halftime, while Lee had 8 points and 5 rebounds.

“Very proud of our girls,” Hall said. “I thought we had a great game plan coming into this. We were ready and relaxed. That’s who we were. We executed it. Turnovers I knew would be a key in this game and give all the credit to Southern Lab. They’re a great team. They apply a lot of pressure to force those turnovers. I’m very proud of our girls that they never quit. They gave it their all.”

Cedar Creek got down as much as 16 with 7:00 left in the game as the Kittens’ ability to turn Creek over piled up – with Creek ending the game with 23 turnovers for to just 13 for Southern Lab.

After shooting 27% from the field in the first quarter, Southern Lab shot over 53% from the field in the second and third quarters to push ahead by double digits. Entering the fourth, Creek had 18 turnovers and 12 field goals.

The Lady Cougars had multiple moments to give in to the pressure completely and fold. Every other team in the Kittens’ path had done it in the playoffs. What’s one more, right?

Not in Creek’s DNA. The Lady Cougars had one more punch in them, making Southern Lab sweat over the final 4:00 like it hasn’t in some time as Creek gave itself a chance to potentially tie the game.

In fact, Creek gave Southern Lab its first game within 10 points in nearly a month – a reality Hall and her team knew was possible coming in.

“We knew. I don’t know if anybody else believed it, but we believed it,” Hall said. “And we knew going in this is what the battle was going to be. I felt like we had a chance, and I loved our gameplan because I know our strengths and I felt like we had a really good opportunity to maybe surprise some people but not surprise ourselves.”

Creek went on a 10-2 run over a two-minute span to cut the deficit to 62-57 with 1:56 left after Martinez came up with a layup for her first points of the half. Caroline James and Mary Grace Hawkins stayed on the attack as well with off-balance layups through traffic, along with offensive boards from Lee and Avery Ryan to keep Creek alive.

But after Southern Lab called timeout with 1:42 to go, the Kittens made a mid-range floater to pull ahead 64-57, only for Creek to miss its next two shots, leading to Southern Lab drawing fouls in the closing minute to shut the door on the comeback effort.

Ryan finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Lee put up 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals. Martinez had 13 points and 5 assists, while James finished with 10 points.

Shalla Forman of Southern Lab won MVP honors after putting up 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals.

Creek senior Zoey Venters, one of two Lady Cougars to ever play in two state championship games, was proud of Creek’s season and the daily approach it took to make it this far.

She credited Hall postgame for making the Lady Cougars understand their worth beyond the court.

“Getting to the state tournament in only her second year coaching is just a testament to the way she pours into us daily,” Venters said. “Hearing that she was going to be our coach, I was nothing but ecstatic because I knew how much of a great coach she was and I knew she wanted to pour into each and every one of us. She makes it bigger than the game of basketball. She wants to grow us as people and lead us to the Lord. She wants to make us the best people we can be, not only as basketball players but as people.

“These are days I’m probably never going to forget. When I look back on it, it was one of the best times of my life.”

Mallory Smith, a fellow senior joining Venters as the only other Lady Cougar to play in two state championship games after making state as a freshman in the 2021-22 season, also thanked Hall for how she poured into the team. Sitting behind the state runner-up trophy, Smith, through tears, told reporters how much she’ll cherish this season’s run.

“I think she brought our team closer together as a family,” Smith said. “She helped me grow as a basketball player and person.”

Hall initially took the head girls basketball job at Cedar Creek with some reservations. Taking over for longtime head coach Gene Vandenlangberg, who led Creek to the title game in 2021-22, was no easy task.

But as she sat in between the two seniors that have been a part of more winning than any two players in school history, who set the tone to trust her from day one, Hall left the podium on Saturday with no regrets and a smile.

“These two right here have been through the transition of being here before. I leaned on them today of, ‘Hey, what can we expect?’ I leaned on these two this whole year,” Hall said. “They’ve been the rock for this team, and I just can’t say enough great things about these two right here.

“I’m forever grateful for them for giving me the opportunity to learn from them as well. [Taking the head coaching job] was something I knew I’d be consumed and all-in. Here we are. But we’ll be back.”

Cedar Creek finishes as state runners-up with a 29-4 overall record and returns, among others, Caroline James, Mary Grace Hawkins, Alivia Lee, Avery Ryan, and Taylor Martinez next season.