SEARCY -- It was only right Greenwood had to pass one last test to earn its spot in the state final.
From the jump Saturday, the Bulldogs weathered three starters in foul trouble and a relentless opponent to defeat Lake Hamilton 64-57 in the semifinals of the Class 5A girls state tournament at Lion Arena.
"This is the third straight trip for our seniors. They've all been there before," Greenwood Coach Clay Reeves said of the state final at Hot Springs next week. "They know it's going to be hard, it's going to be tough and it's going to be close.
"I'm so proud of our team for overcoming and fighting and being determined, not letting things bother them, and they kept playing."
Greenwood (27-4) jumped out to an early 14-4 lead Saturday as its defense and transition offense overwhelmed Lake Hamilton (25-8).
"Getting out there and feeling [Greenwood's style of play], that just takes you a second to understand how to beat it," Lake Hamilton Coach Blake Condley said.
Greenwood hit eight three-pointers in the first half, taking advantage of the slightest of gaps in Lake Hamilton's defense. But the Wolves turned inside to Disyah Christon and Saniyah Cook to keep pace and trail at halftime by six points.
The Wolves made up more ground in the third quarter as Greenwood's Brooklyn Woolsey, Izzy Smith and Kylah Pearcy all sat with four fouls.
With the win, the Bulldogs head to their third straight state championship game, looking for a third straight title. That experience paid off as seniors Anna Trusty and Carley Sexton played all 32 minutes and led runs to keep Greenwood in front.
With the starters back in, Greenwood outscored Lake Hamilton by two points in the fourth quarter to maintain a lead they had held since the opening minute.
"They're just so hard to follow, to slow down because all of their girls can score," Condley said.
Trusty led Greenwood with 18 points, followed by Woolsey with 16 and Sexton with 13.
Braylee Winfree led Lake Hamilton with 13 points, while fellow sophomores Cook, Christon and Hayley Ferguson each had 12 points.
Vilonia 72, Greene County Tech 58
Vilonia did its part to force a rematch with Greenwood in the state final with a convincing win over Greene County Tech.
The Eagles (26-6) extended an eight-point first quarter lead to 28 at halftime thanks to the play of their five starters.
Senior Lexi Heston led Vilonia with 21 points, followed by junior Sidni Middleton with 14, sophomore Madison-Lynn Mannion with 12 and freshman Brooklyn Burnham with 10. Mannion hit four of Vilonia's six three-pointers.
Greene County Tech (25-7) relied on junior Jacey Edrington's 21 points to carry the load on offense. Sophomore Sophia Gonzalez added 11 points.