Class 3A girls basketball: Sulphur caps perfect season with win over Perkins-Tryon

Sulphur (30-0) defeated a previously unbeaten team in Perkins-Tryon (28-1) just as the Lady Bulldogs had on Friday against previously unbeaten Adair in the semifinals.

“That was our goal from Day 1, to be state champions,” said a jubilant Ashley Hughes, who scored a game-high 15 points for Sulphur. “To be 30-0 is just icing on the cake.”

Sulphur returned four seniors from last year's squad that was the Lady Bulldogs first state tournament qualifier in 89 years.

Sulphur won its first state tournament game in school history (not counting getting credited with a bye in 1923) last year over Salina before losing in the semifinals to Prague.

“Coming into this year, we didn't talk about any other goal but winning a state championship,” Lady Bulldogs coach Toby Todd said.

Sulphur doesn't have a starter who is taller than 5-10, but still out-rebounded (25-18) the Lady Demons, who boasted a strong front line in 6-0 post players Jordan Gorham and McKenzie Stanford.

“We are petty gritty,” Hughes said. “We are resilient. We are not the biggest, but we got great team speed. We've really just got a great will to win. We knew it was ours.”

A slow start doomed Perkins-Tryon as Gorham, who was whistled for two fouls in the first four minutes, had to sit on the bench for most of the quarter.

Sulphur raced to a 9-2 lead after the first period and never trailed.