The Lady Knights of Faith Academy have secured their spot in the history books after an impressive performance at the TAIAO State Basketball tournament. Led by Coach Joe Riley, the Lady Knights fought hard and showed incredible determination throughout the competition.
On day one of the tournament, the Lady Knights found themselves down by 16 in the 2nd quarter against Valor Prep of Austin. However, with excellent defense from freshman Luisa Morrison and sophomores Georgia Johnson and Renee Devoke, the Lady Knights clawed their way back into the game. With just 10 seconds remaining, senior Rachel Kuespert hit a huge layup to tie the game. Sophomore Lilly Kuespert then stole the ball and put the Lady Knights ahead by one with a free throw. The Lady Knights ultimately won 35-34. In their next game against Founder’s Classical of Leander, the Lady Knights once again found themselves trailing for most of the game. However, with some huge offensive rebounds and layups from freshmen Hayley Gillen and Lilah Vredenburg, the Lady Knights were able to come back and win 43-42.
On day two of the tournament, the Lady Knights took on the Bastrop Tribe. Despite some bad turnovers, the Lady Knights stayed within six points throughout the game. Down by three with just 1:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, a steal by Vredenburg and push from Morrison allowed Lilly Kuespert to tie the game with a three-pointer. The Lady Knights ultimately won 45-41.
In the state championship game against Founder’s Classical of Leander, the Lady Knights dominated from the start. Defensively, the Lady Knights were led by outstanding hustle from Johnson and Devoke and tough rebounding from Gillen. Offensively, the Lady Knights were led by Rachel Kuespert, who scored 18 points and earned MVP of the tournament. The Lady Knights ultimately won the championship game 48-21, securing their first state title and a place in the history books.
Congratulations to the Lady Knights of Faith Academy and Coach Joe Riley for their incredible performance at the TAIAO State Basketball tournament. It took incredible determination and teamwork from each player to secure the victory and cement their place in history.
