The Quitman Lady Bulldogs wrapped up district play with a road win over the Grand Saline Lady Indians on Tuesday, Feb. 10, defeating Grand Saline 45-37. The victory secured the co-district championship for Quitman, a title they share with the Mineola Lady Jackets.

The Bulldogs got off to a slow start as Grand Saline jumped to an early lead in the first quarter. The fast start appeared to rattle Quitman, which struggled to find rhythm on both ends of the court. Although the Lady Bulldogs cut into the deficit in the second quarter, they still trailed the tough Grand Saline squad 26-21 at halftime.

After the break, Quitman came out more focused and settled into its normal pace of play. The Lady Bulldogs erased the deficit in the third quarter and edged ahead 29-28 heading into the final period. The fourth quarter was a tense back-and-forth battle, with teams trading baskets. Quitman finally found its rhythm in the closing minutes, pulling away to secure the 45-37 win.

“I was glad we were able to come out in the second half and compete and play more our style,” said head coach Blake Hamrick. “Sometimes shots don’t go in and you have to grit out a win, and it’s not going to be pretty – and I’m proud of the girls for doing that in the second half.”

Autumn Cason led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 points, five rebounds, five steals and one assist. Addison Sapp continued her strong play with eight points, four steals, four assists, one block and an impressive 12 rebounds, eight on the defensive end. Kinsley McCutcheon added eight points and three rebounds, while Laine Kelly contributed six points, two steals, one block, one assist and nine rebounds. Erin VanderSchaaf stepped up with five points, seven rebounds and four steals. Kaylin Sapp added two points, four assists and a steal, and Lynlee Taylor chipped in two points and three rebounds.

The Lady Bulldogs played for the bi-district championship on Monday, Feb. 16 at Legacy High School in Tyler. Quitman faced the Tatum Eagles.

Quoted on Feb. 10, Coach Hamrick said he was optimistic heading into the first round of the playoffs.

“I like our chances,” Hamrick said. “Obviously, Tatum is a very good team – they’re in the same boat as us after tying for first place in their district. Unfortunately, the way the new playoff system works, you end up with two district champions playing each other in the first round. That’s not an ideal draw, and Tatum is good. But, if we play our basketball and don’t let the moment be too big for us, we’ll be perfectly fine.”