An 18-point fourth quarter lead nearly evaporated during an emotional Thursday evening at The Swamp, but the Captain Shreve girls survived Sam Houston to earn a 71-70 victory and a berth in the LHSAA Class 5A state tournament.

It seems like Gators and Marsh Madness would be a perfect fit, but this will mark the first time in program history they have reached the semifinals.

“It’s still amazing,” a near-speechless Kennedi Heard of Captain Shreve said. “We’re in the final four, bro. We’ve never done this before.”

It certainly wasn’t easy. Sam Houston hit 16 3-pointers, including a half-court heave at the final buzzer. However, 4 seconds prior, Heard hit a clutch free throw to secure a date with Natchitoches Central in the semifinals on Thursday (6:15 p.m.) in Alexandria.

Read more at ShreveportTimes.com