SPRINGFIELD - For the first time in school history, the Tipton Cardinals girls basketball team are state champions.
Tipton lead wire-to-wire Bishop LeBlond 55-36 to win the MSHSAA Class 2 State Title.
Entering Saturday's championship game, Bishop LeBlond was the Cardinals' only loss on the season. The Golden Eagles held off Tipton 39-35 on Jan. 21 in the Hall of Fame Classic in Bolivar.
But that just gave motivation to the Cardinals. After the loss, Tipton averaged 73.3 points per game, while allowing 23.3 points per game.
That 50-point scoring margin shows why this Cardinals team will go down as one of the most dominant teams in mid-MO history.
Myra Claas had a game-high 23 points for Tipton, surpassing 2,500 career points in her final game for Tipton. Claas will be suiting up for Lincoln University in the fall.
Briar Cox added another double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Courtney Edwards had nine points.