MOKANE - The showdown matched the buildup.
Senior guard Adrian Mann and the unbeaten South Callaway Lady Bulldogs made sure they emerged on the right side.
Mann delivered 14 of her game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter as No. 2 seed South Callaway took control in a 62-48 win over No. 1 Hermann in a state-ranked clash for the girls' championship at the South Callaway Invitational Tournament late Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Bulldogs (14-0) - ranked fifth in Class 3 - broke a 36-all tie to begin the fourth quarter and were able to pull away from the eighth-ranked Lady Bearcats (11-3) over the final 8 minutes to claim the title of their home tournament for the first time.
"We've had the pleasure of having had several accomplishments with this group of athletes - this win was very special to us all," said head coach Darren Humphrey. "As a (1989) graduate of South Callaway and their coach, I can both see and feel the pride that this has brought, not only to this team, but our community."
Humphrey noted that his players realized the magnitude of the matchup - which had the buzz of a state playoff game - when they saw the packed stands before coming out for warmups.
"The girls looked out of the locker room and noticed the size of the crowd and just how much blue-and-white was out here, for both sides," Humphrey said. "The overall confidence that that (support) brings to our ball club is just outstanding."
Mann put on the type of performance in the fourth quarter that showed why she's a Division I signee (Nicholls State) and was named the tournament's most valuable player. After Hermann took a 38-36 lead, Mann lobbed in a 3-pointer from the left wing to put the Lady Bulldogs in front to stay at 39-38 with 7 minutes, 7 seconds to play.
The Lady Bearcats twice closed within a point in the next 3 minutes, but Mann had a response both times. She glided through the lane to give South Callaway a three-point edge and then she connected on another 3 to make it 46-42 with 4:24 remaining.
Mann's trey initiated an 11-0 run that would allow the Lady Bulldogs to build some cushion. She punctuated the outburst when she flipped in an underhanded runner in the lane, was fouled and hit the free throw to push South Callaway's advantage to 54-42 with 2:03 to go.
Appropriately, Mann made a pair of free throws with :20 left to cap off the Lady Bulldogs' title triumph.
"She has provided us with offense and defense from the first day that she walked on to the high school court," Humphrey said of Mann. "The overall leadership that she provides is well beyond the basketball court.
"She's just a great kid that shows these younger players what it means to be a true Bulldog."
Feeding off the energy of the atmosphere, the two teams exchanged dynamic runs in the first quarter. South Callaway tallied the game's first nine points and a putback by freshman forward DeLaney Horstman put the Lady Bulldogs on top 11-2 with 4:41 to play in the quarter.
Hermann, though, countered with a 12-2 run to take its first lead. Junior guard Caraline Brune buried a 3 from the left corner to give the Lady Bearcats a 14-13 edge with 1:49 remaining. Mann converted two free throws with :13.2 to go, extending South Callaway's lead to 17-14, but Brune returned to the left corner and knocked down another 3 with :04 left to tie the game.
Neither team led by more than three points in the second quarter and Hermann carried a slight 26-24 advantage into halftime when junior forward Emma Godat scored on a layup with :23 left. The contest stayed tight throughout the third quarter before Lady Bulldogs freshman guard Paige Clubb came up with a steal and bolted the length of the floor for a layup with :44 to play, tying the game again at 36-all.
Clubb finished with 15 points, while Horstman - selected to the all-tournament second team - added 13.
Junior guard Allison Stiers - chosen to the all-tournament first team - topped Hermann with 14 points and Godat contributed 12.
The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Bearcats could soon be squaring off again, with even more at stake. Both South Callaway and Hermann are in the District 9 Tournament at Fatima, a little more than a month away.
"It (win) was huge, which is going to hopefully put us on different sides of the bracket," Humphrey said. "I think we'll be ready."