2017 Jeff West Girls Sub-State Champions (photo courtesy of Faith Becker)

Playing in their first state title game in program history, the Jeff West girls’ basketball team knew they would be in for a fight going up against top seed Girard who entered the contest with only one loss to 6A Washburn Rural.

The Tigers were confident from the start taking a one point lead after one quarter and battled back all night, but a 19-of-23 shooting effort by Girard at the foul line proved to be too much in the end as the Tigers finished runner-up in Class 4A-II with a 54-48 loss in Emporia Saturday afternoon.

Tiger junior Mariah Murdie got Jeff West off to a great start knocking down a couple baseline jumpers and recording seven points in the opening frame to take a 10-9 lead after one.

Girard came right back, though, with senior Olivia Hanson, who only averages seven points a contest on the season, tallying seven straight points in the second quarter for the Trojans who took a three point lead into halftime, 23-20.

Girard maintained a one-point lead after three quarters and in the fourth pushed their advantage up to seven, but Jeff West came right back with a 5-0 run to pull within two.

That was the closest they got, though, as Girard went 16-of-19 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Seniors, Tayler Metzger and Faith Becker were the Citizens State Bank & Trust Company “Players to Bank On” on FM 103.9 KNZA, as Metzger finished with nine points on three 3-pointers while Becker tallied 11 points on three 3s and dished out eight assists. 

The Tigers finished with the best season in school history at 20-5, winners of the Big 7 league and a second place finish at the 4A-II state tournament.

Girard: Calea Augustin – 15, Ashley Ray – 14, Sydnee Crain – 13, Olivia Hanson – 12.

Jeff West: Mariah Murdie – 15, Faith Becker – 11, Tayler Metzger – 9, Alyssa Garza – 7, Aaliyah Negonsott – 4, Kiley Biltoft – 2.