It was another packed house Tuesday, March 4, as the Lady Bulldogs tipped-off the state quarterfinal game against the East Surry Lady Cardinals. The same East Surry team that this time last year ended Murphy’s state championship dreams with a last second 3-pointer.

Sophomore Torin Rogers takes a free throw Tuesday night. Rogers finished the night with 27 points.

It was the Lady Bulldogs (29-0) that got the last laugh this year however, beating the Lady Cardinals 65-45 and advancing to the NCHSAA Class 1-A state semifinals.

East Surry (20-6) started the game with a strong defense, forcing Murphy into some bad shots and creating turnovers, which allowed them to take a 21-19 first-quarter lead.

Settling down in the second quarter, the Lady Bulldogs were able to lock in defensively and rely on senior Sydni Addison to create some open looks on offense. The result was a three-point lead for Murphy, 31-28, at the end of the first half.

Senior Sydni Addison sets up on the free-throw line Tuesday night.

Coming out of the locker room for the second half, the Lady Bulldogs settled in and started looking more like themselves, sharing the ball and playing a much tighter brand of defense than they were able to in the first half. Murphy ended the third quarter on a five-point run, giving them a 48-39 lead to start the fourth.

Despite some turnovers on offense, the Lady Bulldogs blew the game open in the fourth using a defense that held the Lady Cardinals to just six four-quarter points to seal the 65-45 victory.

Division-I prospect, sophomore Torin Rogers, was the focal point of the offense all night for the Lady Bulldogs. She scored a game-high 27 points while going a 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

In a game where offense seemed hard to come by at times, Rogers did not shy away from the challenge when she was asked to step up and be the leader, creating open looks for herself and teammates alike.

Murphy will travel to Lenior-Rhyne University this Saturday, March 7, for the NCHSAA Class 1-A Western Regional Championship game, which will be played against the winner of Wednesday’s Mitchell vs. Alleghany game.