FARMINGTON -- Gravette's Brooke Handle made two free throws with 5.4 seconds left, and the Lady Lions held their collective breath as Camden Fairview raced down the court but missed from point-blank range at the buzzer as Gravette claimed a 48-47 win in the Class 4A girls state tournament at Cardinal Arena.
The Lady Lions (26-9) earned their first trip to the state semifinals and their 26 wins are a school record.
Gravette will take on Morrilton in the state semifinals today at 6 p.m. Morrilton defeated the Lady Lions 36-31 in the regional tournament a week ago.
Handle, one of Gravette's 12 seniors, said she had confidence stepping to the free-throw line in the final seconds.
"That this wasn't going to be our last game and we were going to the semis," Handle said. "Me and Brynn [Romine], our point guard, we stay every day [after practice] and make tons of free throws."
Handle added the senior-oriented group was not ready to be finished.
"I think we're all just competitors with a competitive mindset," Handle said. "We all hate losing. I think it shows how hard all of us have worked. We've been together since sixth grade, some of us younger."
Handle hit a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter but didn't score again until the final two free throws.
Romine led Gravette with 18 points, including four three-pointers, and Alexa Parker added 14. Isis Wilson led Camden Fairview (21-9) with 19 points, including five three-pointers.
Pittman had nothing but praise for the way his group persevered after trailing by 10 points in the first half.
"I thought they continued to play hard. The effort was great all night," Pittman said. "We were tight. But we just challenged them to make one more play, one more play. We had big plays out of everybody, some that you might not notice. They [Camden Fairview] are a good team."
Camden Fairview jumped to a 10-2 lead to start the game and led 16-7 after a quarter and by 10 in the first half. But Gravette pulled within 29-26 on Parker's three-pointer. Miciah Fusilier hit a runner to give the Lady Cardinals a 31-26 halftime lead.
MORRILTON 41, PULASKI ACADEMY 33
The Lady Devil Dogs (31-2) trailed only briefly in the first quarter and got a huge three-pointer from senior Sophia Wahrmund in the final minute to seal the victory.
Pulaski Academy (19-8) trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Bruins rallied to within 37-33 with 1:33 left after two free throws by Randi Stewart. Wahrmund's three-pointer proved to the final blow. The Lady Devil Dogs could have made it easier on themselves but made just 8 of 18 free throws for the game.
Morrilton, which led 20-15 at halftime and 29-21 entering the fourth quarter, advanced to its third semifinal in the past four years.
Johnna Brockman, a 5-11 senior, scored a game-high 20 points for Morrilton. Wahrmund chipped in 10, including a pair of three-pointers. Stewart led Pulaski Academy with 15, including two three-pointers.
The Lady Devil Dogs had a 29-game winning streak snapped by Farmington in the regional final. Morrilton bounced back with a 64-42 win over Magnolia earlier in the week to advantage to the quarterfinals.