After falling behind by 15 points in the first half and a furious fourth-quarter rally that just fell short, the De Soto High School girl’s varsity basketball team completed its season at the KSHSAA 4A Division 1 State Basketball Tournament at the Bicentennial Center in Salina March 9.

DHS, seeded at No. 7, fell to Wellington High School, the undefeated No. 2 seed by a score of 62-57. Sophomore Mariah Grizzle led the Wildcats with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Senior Kristen Saucerman added 15 points, and junior Julia Johnson chipped in with 12 points.

The team started off with an intensity that seemed to catch the undefeated Crusaders team by surprise, with the Wildcats only a few points behind early in the game. However, the Crusaders, led by 6’2” senior Division I bound forward Grace Mitchell, began to create a gap, finishing the first quarter with a score of 16-11 with the Crusaders on top.

The second quarter of the game began with the Crusaders going on a scoring run for the first six minutes of the quarter, but that didn’t stop the Wildcats, who went on a 12-5 scoring run during the final two minutes of the half. With crucial three-point shots from Saucerman, the Wildcats reduced the Crusaders lead to only eight with a halftime score of 35-27.

Within the first three minutes of the third quarter, the Crusaders managed to rack up six points, with the Wildcats not far behind with eight, bringing the score to 41-35.

The final five minutes of the quarter inspired the Wildcats, outscoring the Crusaders 9-7, bringing the score to 48-44.

The fourth quarter of the State quarterfinal match saw the Crusaders increase their lead by eight points, with Mitchell from the Crusaders scoring six of the eight points.

This seemed to bring new life to the Wildcats, with Saucerman and junior Tanith Beal making two consecutive three-point shots, bringing the score to 60-57 with less than eight seconds in the game. However, following a DHS turnover, the Wildcats fouled Crusader player Lauryn Snipes, who in turn made two free throws in a row, bringing the score to 62-57, with Wellington on top. The Wildcats were unable to come back from this deficit, ending the game with the Crusaders on top 62-57.

The Wildcats finished their season with a 14-9 record, with their final loss of the season coming to the Crusaders, who continue on in the State tournament with an undefeated season of 23-0.

Head coach Ryan Robie of the Wildcats, who just completed his first season at the helm of the program, was very proud of how his team competed.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more effort than they gave,” Robie said. “We didn’t walk into this game expecting it to be easy, but I’m glad with how we played.”

Grizzle is just as proud with how the girls performed and expects big things for the future of the team.

“It was very sad seeing [Kristen] leave,” Grizzle said. “I’m very happy with how we competed, and I know that with our talent we will be back again next year.”

With Saucerman as the only senior on the team, the Wildcats are prepared for another successful season next year and expect another State appearance.

“We know that by this time next year, we’ll be back in Salina,” Robie said. “It won’t be another 34 years.”