The Hermleigh Lady Cardinals’ bid for their third consecutive state tournament berth came up just short Saturday night at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum. Literally.
With her team trailing Veribest by two points in the waning seconds of the the Region II-1A championship game, standout forward Makia Gonzales fired off a 3-pointer from the wing, hoping to earn her team one more trip to San Antonio before closing her stellar high school career.
The shot was on-line, but unfortunately for the Lady Cardinals, it was just a couple of inches short, bouncing off the front rim and out, allowing the Lady Falcons to secure a 27-25 victory and clinch their first state tournament berth in school history.