The Bolles girls basketball team did its best to overcome one tough quarter in its state championship debut, but it wasn’t enough.
Cardinal Mooney used a dominant second quarter to set the tone and top the Bulldogs 64-54 in the Class 3A state title game on Saturday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Bolles had never been past the regional round before this season and would have pushed the Cougars for a title if not for a tough eight minutes before half.
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Cardinal Mooney outscored the Bulldogs 17-4 in the second quarter and pushed that lead to as many as 16 in the third. Bolles made a game of it late, getting a steal and a layup from Evie Freeman and a 3 from Presley Norman to cap a 10-0 run and get within five with just over three minutes to play. But the Cougars were able to stay a step ahead until the finish.
Freeman led Bolles with 21 and Norman added 15. The Bulldogs finished 25-6.