Leading by three points at halftime, McGehee was just 16 minutes away from winning its first girls basketball state championship.
With a strong inside presence and tough defense, Manila spoiled those plans and beat the Lady Owls 49-42 on Friday to secure the 3A championship before a crowd of 3,522 at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. It was the first state championship in the sport since 1958 for the Lady Lions from Mississippi County.
McGehee (31-6), which went undefeated in Conference 3A-8 and won the 3A Region 4 championship, shot just 1 for 8 from the floor in the final quarter but made 6 of 10 free throws. The Lady Owls, the only Southeast Arkansas team in this year’s Arkansas Activities Association finals, was ahead 25-22 at halftime but trailed 35-34 through three quarters, even though they made 4 of 7 from the floor in the third.
Manila (31-6), the third seed from 3A Region 2, was 5 for 11 and made both of its free throws in the period to make up the halftime deficit. The Lady Lions shot 18 for 50 (36%) from the floor (3 of 16 from three-point range) and converted 10 of 15 free throws. They also owned a 26-12 scoring advantage in the paint, outrebounded the Lady Owls 34-30 and outscored them 18-3 on fast breaks.
Lucy Farmer, the championship MVP, and Hadlie Goodson each scored 14 points to lead Manila. Madysen Deeds had 10 points in the win.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Whitney Smith led McGehee with 12 points and four assists. Makaelah Green and Mariah Blackmon each scored 10 points in the loss.
The Lady Owls made 14 of 38 (36.8%) from the floor (7 of 14 three-pointers) and made 7 of 12 free throws.
Under Coach T’Cambry Green, McGehee had won six straight going into the title game, starting the streak after losing the District 3A-8 championship to Desha County rival Dumas. The Lady Owls beat Drew Central in the 3A Region 4 title game and defeated Melbourne, Episcopal Collegiate and Mountain View to make it to Hot Springs.
Manila, led by Coach Chad LaRose, defeated Drew Central, Dover, Greenland and McGehee in its state tournament run.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated the number of state championships Manila has won in girls basketball.