Charlee Bailey News Today

After winning their first two games of the season, California Lady Pintos basketball participated in their first tournament of the season last week in Tipton.

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It wasn’t quite a perfect season for the Tipton Lady Cardinals, but it was definitely a perfect ending. Tipton won its first state championship in program history Saturday night, avenging its only loss of the season with a 55-36 victory against the Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles in the Class 2 state title game at Great Southern Bank Arena.

Basketball can be pretty simple, you can’t win if you can’t score. The Tipton Lady Cardinals made that very clear Tuesday night, as they held the New Franklin Lady Bulldogs to 4-for-34 (12 percent) shooting from the field and ran away with a 61-18 victory in the Class 2 sectionals at Fleming Fieldhouse.

Basketball can be pretty simple, you can’t win if you can’t score. The Tipton Lady Cardinals made that very clear Tuesday night, as they held the New Franklin Lady Bulldogs to 4-for-34 (12 percent) shooting from the field and ran away with a 61-18 victory in the Class 2 sectionals at Fleming Fieldhouse.

The Tipton Lady Cardinals are the No. 1 team in the Class 2 rankings. But don’t think the small school team can’t run with the bigger schools. “They could win Class 5, they’re that good,” Jefferson City coach Kay Foster said Monday night after the Class 5 No. 9 Lady Jays dropped a 53-45 decision to the undefeated Lady Cardinals at Fleming Fieldhouse.

The St. Elizabeth Hornets and the Tipton Lady Cardinals will play for a chance to advance to the Final Four today. The St. Elizabeth boys tip off against the Thomas Jefferson Independent Cavaliers in the Class 1 state quarterfinals at 2:45 p.m. at Southwest Baptist’s Meyer Wellness Center in Bolivar. The Tipton girls will face the South Shelby Lady Cardinals in the Class 3 state quarterfinals at 6 p.m. at Battle High School in Columbia.

One team was playing in its fifth straight sectional game. The other team was playing in the state tournament for the first time in 24 years. Experience rose to the forefront in a hurry.