From the Freshman Isabell Claywell’s first 3 pointer to Taylor Drury’s final two free throws — the Class 2A Girls State Final game was the Lady Musketeers game.
The Musketeers led for 28 minutes and 38 seconds.
Oak Hill, who lost at the buzzer, 42-31, only led for two minutes and 27 seconds. The game was tied for less than a minute.
The Lady Musketeers dominated the stats — hitting 13 of 31 field goals for a total 41.9 percent. Oak Hill only hit 10 of 34 for 29.4 percent.
The Musketeers hit four of 11 three-pointers for 36.4 percent. Oak Hill hit only 2 of 10.
Eastern nailed 12 of 17 at the free throw line for 70.6 percent, while the Golden Eagles only hit 9 of 15 for 60 percent.
No. 5 Oak Hill had ridden it’s strong defense to the state finals, allowing the fourth-fewest points in Class 2A (35.5 points per game).
Eastern came into Saturday’s game on a 14-game winning streak after starting the season 8-7.
Oak Hill was led offensively by Taylor Westgate (12.5 ppg) and Janessa Hasty (9.8 ppg).
Eastern was led by Rachel Stewart (19.1 ppg) and Taylor Drury (15.5 ppg).
In fact, Stewart scored a career-high 34 points in the team’s 65-59 win over Covenant Christian in the semistate game last weekend.
Adrianna Trexler of Oak Hill scored the first two points of the game off a foul by Veronica Judson.
Claywell scored the first points for Eastern, nailing a perfect 3-pointer, putting Eastern up 3-2, with an assist by Judson.
Judson fouled again, sending Trexler back to the line for two more free throws to put Oak Hill up, 4-3.
Rachel Stewart got the next two points for Eastern with a layup, bringing the score to 5-4.
Taylor Drury fouled Taylor Westgate, who hit both of her shots, pulling Oak Hill ahead, 6-5.
Two Eastern turnovers gave the ball back to the Golden Eagles for a layup by Jenessa Hasty, giving Oak Hill a three point lead, 8-5.
Caylee Graves hit a 3-pointer with 1:47 left in the first quarter, tying the game at 8-8.
Stewart stole the ball and made a layup with 1:21 left to pull Eastern ahead 10-8.
Kaela Robey fouled Stewart, who missed her shot.
Westgate fouled Drury on the next play and Taylor made both FTs, pulling Eastern ahead 12-8 with 1:18 left.
With 10 seconds left in the first quarter, Drury hit a jump shot to pull Eastern ahead by six points, 14-8.
Two minutes into the second quarter, Claywell hit another 3-pointer, giving Eastern its largest lead, 17-8. .
Oak Hill’s Robey hit a layup, 17-10.
Savannah Emmert fouled Janessa Hasty, who made one shot, moving Oak Hill to 17-11.
Stewart missed a layup at 5:23 giving Oak Hill the ball. They turned it over and set Claywell up for a failed jumper.
After another Golden Eagle turnover, Stewart stole the ball and made a layup, bringing the Musketeers to 19-11.
Another turnover steal by Stewart and she fed the ball to Drury, who was fouled.
Taylor made one of two shots, bringing the score to 20-11 at 3:43 left in the half.
Stewart scored a layup with 2:30 left, for a 22-11 tally.
Graves stole the ball and Holly Purlee turned it over to Oak Hill. Another turnover set Graves up for a jumper, which was missed. Purlee got the rebound and fed the ball to Graves, who missed another and set up Oak Hill’s Hasty with the ball. She scored a 3-pointer with 15 seconds in the half.
The first half ended with Eastern up, 22-14.
Hasty scored the first points of the second half, bringing them closer, 22-16.
Eastern went on a bit of a dry spell, allowing Oak Hill an 8-point run on 2 free throws by Trexler, a jumper by Westgate and a layup by Robey, pulling Oak Hill to a 25-22 score with 2:43 left in the third period.
Stewart drove in for 2 and got the foul with 2:43 left. She hit the foul shot, pulling them ahead, 25-22.
Westgate hit a jumper with 2:27 left bringing Oak Hill within one point, 25-24.
Drury hit a jumper at 1:50, pulling Eastern ahead 27-24 to head into the final period.
Claywell started the fourth period off with a 3-pointer, increasing the lead to 6 – 30-24.
Oak Hill’s Kristin Dubois missed a layup and Eastern turned the ball over, giving Hasty the ball and another layup, bringing the score to 30-26.
Robey got the rebound and Trexler set up for a 3-pointer and missed.
Eastern’s Judson missed a 3 and after a time out, Hasty stole the ball from Drury and Dubois turned the ball over back to the Musketeers.
Stewart stole the ball and was fouled by Westgate. She hit both shots, pulling Eastern ahead, 32-26.
Stewart hit two layups back to back at 2:24 thanks to an assist from Drury, pulling Eastern up, 35-26.
Oak Hill followed with a layup by Robey – 35-28.
Stewart rebounded a missed Oak Hill basket and brought the score to 37-28 with a shot from Stewart.
Robey fouled Stewart, who went to the line and hit her free throw, bringing the score to 38-28.
Oak Hill’s Hasty nailed a three-pointer, shortening the lead to 7; 38-31.
Hasty fouled Graves, who hit one of two free throws, giving Eastern a 39-31 lead, with 54 seconds in the game.
Claywell missed a foul shot at :33 and Stewart rebounded the ball and was fouled with :25 left in the game.
She missed one shot, but hit the second, pulling ahead by 9; 40-31.
Oak Hill’s Brittany McCorkle missed a 3 pointer and Hasty fouled Drury.
She hit both shots to bring the Musketeers to their final score of 42-31 with :05 left.
The clock ran out and the Musketeers became the first team in Washington County to win a State Title.
