*This story was completed before the final two games of the night in 4A and 6A, a separate story on the latter two games will be poster later.
On Saturday, Dave Campbell’s Texas Basketball went down to the San Antonio for the UIL Basketball State Championships. Over the course of six games, we saw a lot of great performances from a lot of great players. Let’s shine the spotlight on some of those outstanding showings—win or lose—from the first four games of the day.
Class 1A
Emma Kleman — Nazareth
With Lubbock Christian signee Cambrie Heiman hampered by an ankle injury that she described as “awful” and playing more of a complementary role on Saturday, the Swiftettes needed someone to step up and help them win their 24th state championship. While it was largely a team effort, junior guard Emma Kleman helped lead the way, earning her the MVP award for 1A. She finished with a game-high 11 points and grabbed five boards, and she did that while finishing fifth of Nazareth’s six players to see 10 or more minutes of action in usage rate. Kleman’s efficiency played a key role in the victory.
Chelsea Lott — Lipan
While Lipan wasn’t able to knock off Nazareth, we did get to see some huge moments from a first-year player. Freshman guard Chelsea Lott’s shooting helped the Lady Indians — who had to deal with foul trouble from their star post, Maggie Peacock — keep things competitive. Lott finished with 10 points, and she was 3-for-3 from deep, making all of Lipan’s three-pointers. While the game ended in a loss, Lott’s performance shows why this team made it here, and should help them make a return to the state tournament.