Salado Lady Eagles were able to go step-for-step with the Fredericksburg Lady Billies through three quarters of their Region IV Final, but the swarming, taunting defense of the Billies led to turnovers and trips to the free throw line as they won 53-40 on Feb. 29.

In the first half, both defenses kept the offenses on the exteriors as neither could find a path to easy shots. Salado trailed 7-6 at the end of the first and held a paper-thin lead of 15-14 at the half.

Fredericksburg’s defense began to wear down Salado in the third as the Billies outscored Salado 16-11 to hold a 30-26 lead. The Billies went to the free throw line six times and hit 9-of-11 shots. Fredericksburg guard Ella Hartman was perfect at the line, hitting 11 shots on her way to lead both teams with 23 points. Salado held her to just 2 points in the entire first half.

Salado did not have an answer to Hartman or the Billies in the fourth quarter as she scored 12 points to lead Fredericksburg’s 23-point fourth quarter. Fredericksburg went to the free throw line six times in the fourth quarter as well, where they were again 9-of-11.

Salado had 10 total trips to the free throw line. The Lady Eagles were 14-of-19 at the free throw line.

Priscilla Torczynski led the Lady Eagles as they tried to overcome the Billies’s lead, scoring 5 of her 7 points in the fourth quarter.

Kaia Philen led Salado with 12 points. Katie Law scored 7 points while Amanda Cantu and Jasey Goings both scored 5 points. Lorena Perez scored all of her 4 points at the free throw line.