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(Photo by Rita Boultinghouse)
A sensational 2021-22 season for the San Saba High School girls varsity basketball team on Friday, March 4, as the Lady Dillos were beaten 69-29 in the UIL Class 2A state semifinal game against Gruver High School at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
San Saba got off to a great start defensively in the first quarter and held the Lady Hounds in check as the Lady Dillos trailed just 13-8 after the first frame. Unfortunately for the Lady Dillos, Gruver caught fire offensively in the second quarter in which it went on a huge 26-8 scoring run to take a commanding 39-16 lead into halftime.
Gruver was extremely efficient throughout the game shooting the ball as the Lady Hounds were nearly perfect shooting free throws at 15-of-16 and making eight shots from behind the arc.
Turnovers played a massive part in the game for the Lady Dillos against an elite Lady Hounds’ defense, which resulted in many points off turnovers at the other end. An extremely disciplined Gruver team was able to make its shots from the field, efficiently pass the ball without many turnovers, and played suffocating defense throughout the contest.
Despite the lopsided loss for San Saba, the duo of senior forward Landri Glover and junior guard Lexy Amthor combined to score more than half of the Lady Dillos’ points as both Glover and Amthor scored in double figures with 10 points each.
The undefeated No. 1 Lady Hounds eventually finished their season with a perfect 33-0 record and went on to beat Stamford High School 50-38 in the final on Saturday afternoon, their second 2A championship title in the last three years.
The No. 20 Lady Dillos made their second trip to the state tournament in program history (first since 2011) and finished their season with a superb 31-8 overall record, including a 10-2 mark in District 29-2A play that saw San Saba in a three-way tie for first place.
San Saba reached the state championship semifinals by winning five games over Charlotte High School, Yorktown High School, district rival Harper High School, Hearne High School, and Normangee High School in which the Lady Dillos outscored their opponents by a staggering 325-146 scoring margin during that span.
Congratulations on a fantastic Lady Dillos basketball career to seniors Landri Glover, Nojemi Martinez, Jaedah Lambert, Maritza Aguirre, Jaycie Everett, and Karlee Reed.
Be sure to check out next week’s edition of the San Saba News & Star for more updates on Dillos and Lady Dillos varsity athletics. Sports editor Andrew Salmi can be contacted via email at salmi.courier@gmail.com or by cell phone at (818) 645-1115.