HOT SPRINGS -- Hot Springs finally got the best of Pulaski Academy in overtime after the Lady Trojans trailed for most of regulation.
Senior Berniezha Tidwell hit the second of two free throws with 3.1 seconds left in the extra period to give Hot Springs a 62-61 victory in the Class 5A girls state championship game at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
Tidwell finished with a game-high 30 points, 16 of which came in the final 12 minutes of action.
"I knew we needed to attack the basket more," Tidwell said. "I just thought I wasn't doing it enough. It worked for me."
Her final attack was the difference.
Pulaski Academy sophomore Morgan Wallace drew iron on a driving shot with eight seconds to play. Tidwell grabbed the loose ball, headed toward the other end of the court where she got into the lane and drew a foul.
"I thought I could get the and-one," said Tidwell, who has signed with Sam Houston State. "The free throws, I thought 'no pressure, no pressure,' but when I missed that first one I knew I had to get the other one to go."
Tidwell hit the second free throw, but she wasn't finished. Tidwell knocked the ball away as Pulaski Academy attempted a last-ditch pass.
"I knew this would be a tough battle and I wasn't wrong," said Hot Springs Coach Mark Upshaw, whose team was down 24-19 at halftime. "It was about as close of a game as it could be. ... I told the girls at the half that [Pulaski Academy] hadn't seen what we're capable of. I thought the second half we showed them a little bit more."
Pulaski Academy (28-3) led for the majority of the contest and held as much as an eight-point lead in the second quarter. The game was tied 12 times and there were seven lead changes, most of them coming in the final 12 minutes.
"Both teams played really well, but we couldn't get a handle on Tidwell's driving," Pulaski Academy Coach Rick Treadway said. "Our kids played their hearts out, but we missed some free throws that kind of haunted us."
Hot Springs (26-4) was holding for a final shot in overtime, but the Lady Trojans turned the ball over with 22.1 seconds left when Tidwell attempted to pass the ball to Kayneso Hunter who had fallen down.
The Lady Bruins, however, missed an opportunity to take the lead on Wallace's drive and errant shot.
Wallace, who hit two driving layups during the latter stages of the game to either tie the game or give Pulaski Academy a lead, was the player Treadway wanted to take the Lady Bruins' final shot.
"She was the X-factor there at the end," Treadway said. "We knew Alex [Otwell] had moves inside, but we also knew Morgan can get to the basket when she wants to."
Wallace finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Otwell scored 15 points and Payton Koller scored 10 of her 16 points in the final 12 minutes.
Hot Springs forced overtime at 55-55 when Tiuanna Watkins hit a putback with 5.1 seconds remaining. Otwell managed to get off an off-balanced three-pointer at the buzzer but could only hit the backboard.
Wallace hit a layup after driving through the middle of the Lady Trojans' defense just 18 seconds prior to Watkins' basket.
Watkins added 13 points for Hot Springs while Ashley Clayborn scored 12.
Each team had 36 rebounds with Hunter grabbing a game-high 12 for Hot Springs and Katie Swanson collecting eight for Pulaski Academy.
MVP
BERNIEZHA TIDWELL, HOT SPRINGS
Hot Springs senior guard Berniezha Tidwell scored 16 of her 30 points in the game’s final quarter and overtime and earned MVP honors. Tidwell was 10 of 21 from the floor and 10 of 17 from the freethrow line. She scored the game-deciding point with 3.1 seconds remaining. Tidwell also had 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 steals. She also slapped away the Lady Bruins’ final pass.
AND ONES
The final girls game was the only game of the weekend to be decided in overtime. … Hot Springs ended the season on an 18-game winning streak. … Pulaski Academy saw its 18-game winning streak end. … Hot Springs earned its first state title since 1998. It was the program’s fourth state title. … The Lady Trojans’ previous state finals appearance came in 2003. … Hot Springs held the lead for only 6:47; Pulaski Academy was in front for 22:17. The game was tied 6:56.
— Tim Cooper
Quotable
“We played three games here around Christmas, so that was two and a half months ago. If this were our home court it would help a little more. When you come here and play three games, three days in a row, I’m not sure it helps that much. But if it did, we’ll definitely take it. If it helped us by one point, I’m tickled to death we did it.”
Hot Springs Coach Mark Upshaw
Sports on 03/15/2015