Before the Centralia Lady Panthers hadn't won a conference title since 1978, a district title since 1992 and been a state Final Four team since ever. The Lady Panthers punched the program's first ever ticket to the Final Four by defeating Clarence Cannon Conference foe South Shelby 51-39 in a Class 3 state quarterfinal game on Friday night in Centralia.
South Shelby (23-7), who has won three straight district titles and advanced to the Final Four in 2022, only trailed 31-30 going into the fourth quarter. Centralia (25-4) gained some separation in the fourth quarter when senior Morgan Ross knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, scoring eight in the quarter while also becoming an 1,000-point scorer. The Lady Panthers took a 44-39 lead with 1:43 left in the game and eventually became one of the four left standing after seven previous Lady Panthers teams fell in the quarterfinals (most recent being 1992).
Head coach Megan Brinkmann said this will be her first Final Four as a coach after falling short in the quarterfinals herself in 2021 when she led Eugene, losing 36-33 to Scotland County. The Lady Panthers fell behind 19-14 about halfway through the second quarter but a 15-5 run in the next eight minutes gave them some control.
"They started a little bit hotter than us," Brinkmann said. "I just thought we had to settle in. Ryenn (Gordon) put us on her shoulders a little bit with some shots and got a little more stops. We got some stops in the final three or four minutes, and that was the difference."
South Shelby senior Kamryn Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to give the Ladybirds that 19-14 lead and ended up with 14 points and four 3-pointers to lead her team. Charlie Roush had 14 points and nine rebounds.
The freshman point guard Gordon finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Braylin Brunkhorst had 13 points and Raegan Anderson added nine points. In the playoffs, Gordon has posted performances such as her double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 56-48 win at California in the previous round and scored 10 points in Centralia's 47-39 district title victory over Montgomery County.
"I knew these were the games where I would have to step up and become a role player with this team," Gordon said. "If we aren't going to win, might as well die hard."
Ross followed her 17 points at California with another team-high against South Shelby. She said Friday was among the fullest she has seen Centralia's gym in her four years with the program and appreciates all the support the team has as they focus next on El Dorado Springs (27-3, a state Final Four last year and a state title two years ago) at 4 p.m. March 8 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
"This moment is everything," Ross said. "Going to the Final Four has never been done here so everything that means to the program, the people that come, the players from the past, it's just an incredible moment. I will never forget this."
Look for the full story in the Wednesday, March, 6, 2024, edition of the Mexico Ledger.
