Ladycats blow out Westbrook, heading to 1A championship

The improbable journey the Newcastle Ladycats basketball team set out on this season moved one step closer to the best finish the team could ask for after they won their state semifinal game against the Westbrook Lady Wildcats 59-37.

After starting out their season with a win followed by a loss in their second game, the Ladycats have won 33 straight games which includes six straight playoff wins. Head coach Ryan Dollar didn’t know what to expect when the season started but his team has come a long way.

“We started out, we won the first game, we lost the second game to a really good Gorman team and then we just kind of went on a roll and about four or five games in we kind of looked to each other like, ‘We might go do something really special,’” Coach Dollar said. “Then we're about 12 or 14 games in and we're like, ‘I don't know what's going on, but we're still rolling’ so we just kept pushing; it's really, truly amazing.”

Newcastle began by doing what they’ve done all season and that is get off to a fast start and set the tone early. The Ladycats opened up an 11-3 lead in the opening minutes with junior Mattie Dollar scoring the team’s first five points of the game.

Dollar is no stranger to the big stage of the state basketball tournament in the Alamodome in San Antonio. She’s performed on this court in the past with previous schools so she was able to lead her team and help them feel comfortable in the huge environment.

“It just helped all the other girls know that one of us has been here before and done it,” Dollar said. “So I think I kind of helped settle their nerves and it's just another game. I had to tell them that and to not let the atmosphere and the environment get to them.”

By the end of the first quarter, Newcastle was already in control with a 15-8 lead. The offensive success bled into the second quarter as the Ladycats continued to roll on. Senior Mya Cabrera knocked down a 3-pointer to open the frame as Newcastle pushed the lead to 25-8 before Westbrook managed another point.

In the first half the Ladycats shot the lights out of the gym, as they finished the half shooting 68% from the field and went 5-for-7 (71%) from 3-point range. When the halftime buzzer sounded, Newcastle led 35-15.

“Our defense is really solid, we went and made some buckets early. …Sometimes you worry about the big atmosphere,” Coach Dollar said. “...Anytime you can jump on somebody early, it kind of puts them in a hole and— doesn't make it easier but kind of gives you this little bit of breathing room throughout the rest of the game.”

Coach Dollar has stressed the importance of defense all year and the Ladycats kept that up in this game. Anytime Westbrook looked to get anything going, it didn’t take long for Newcastle to put a stop to it and regain control. For every basket the Lady Wildcats made, the Ladycats answered.

Cabrera and Dollar carried the team in the third quarter as they scored all 13 of the team’s points in the frame. While the two leaders made the shots, the cast of freshmen Kenzie King and Camren Mallory and sophomore Sophie Terrell ran the offense to near perfection. The Ladycats weaved their way in and out of the Westbrook defense which opened up plenty of opportunities to score.

“When we first started out I thought, ‘Hey, we can do four or five things on offense and we'll just be really good at them.’” Coach Dollar said. Then by the middle of December, I've got about 15 things we do and they just jumped on and they just do it.”

With a 48-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Ladycats just needed to play solid on both ends and not make any major mistakes. They continued to score when they needed to, but the game slowed down for Newcastle while Westbrook scrambled to score any way they could.

Dollar scored the first four points of the period before sophomore Emma Hawkins nailed a 3-pointer from the corner. The game was all but over and Coach Dollar was able to sub in his reserves for the final minutes. Not long after that, Westbrook’s season ended and Newcastle punched their ticket to the state championship.

“It's always good to win at this level. Westbrook came out and we knew they'd be tough,” Coach Dollar said. “...We've been trying to step up defensively and make sure that that end is really solid. And that will take care of the offensive end too. I think we did a good job on both ends this morning.”

Dollar finished as the game’s leading scorer with 32 points and she hauled in six rebounds. Cabrera ended in double-digits with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. King had 5 points, two rebounds and led the team with five assists.

Overall, the Ladycats shot 54% from the field in the game and hit seven 3-pointers at a 58% clip. The team will look to carry that offense into the championship game at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 2 against the Turkey Valley Lady Patriots.