One year after losing to Nocona in the state semifinal, the Panhandle girls basketball team is back on top of the Class 2A girls basketball world with a 38-25 win over Mason in the Class 2A Division I state title game Thursday, March 5, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The Pantherettes’ (38-1) win over the Cowgirls (40-2) marks their third state championship in program history and their first since 2017.
Outside of a stellar offensive first quarter from Panhandle, both teams struggled offensively. Mason finished the game shooting 29% from the field, while Panhandle finished 32%, including an 0-15 stretch to start from behind the 3-point line.
However, like the Pantherettes have done all season, their standout defense led the way, forcing 17 Cowgirl turnovers.
Panhandle opened fast, hitting eight of its first nine shots and pairing that efficiency with a suffocating defensive effort to build a 15-0 lead. Mason finally got on the board in the first quarter but still trailed 19-4 by the end of the period.
The Cowgirls clawed back with a 7-0 run and held the Pantherettes scoreless for five minutes, but they could not cut the deficit to single digits before halftime and trailed 25-15 at the break.
The defensive struggle continued into the second half as Mason trimmed the deficit to 29-25. Panhandle finally broke through when Paige Bixby hit the team’s first 3-pointer with 5:28 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Pantherettes tightened up defensively and closed the game on a 9-0 run to secure the 38-25 victory.
Abilene Christian commit Riley Segura was named the game’s MVP and was the only player in double-digits, scoring 19 points. She also grabbed 7 rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist.
Junior Flora Appleton and senior Anna Marie Whitworth led Mason in scoring with six points each. Whitworth was also the game’s leading rebounder with nine.
CLASS 2A DIVISION I GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Panhandle 38, Mason 25
Panhandle 19 6 4 9 – 38
Mason 4 11 7 3 – 25
Panhandle (38-1) – Paige Bixby 5, Addison McCoid 2, Riley Segura 19, Allie Ashley 6, Allie Theis 2, Ell Robinson 4.
Mason (40-2) – Camille Schmidt 1, Georgia Hicks 2, Flora Appleton 6, Anna Marie Whitworth 6, Browyn Underwood 3, Kaitlin Paiva 1, Everly Rabon 4, Mj Griffin 2.
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X @Paul_Witwer, Instagram and TikTok at pwitwer_sast.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Panhandle girls basketball claims third state championship with win over Mason
Reporting by Paul Witwer, San Angelo Standard-Times / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
