The Nazareth girls basketball team is going to need to make room in its trophy case.
The Lady Swifts defeated No. 11 Saltillo 53-31 in the Class 1A Division II state championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio to claim the program’s 26th title in 32 appearances at state, extending the UIL record for most state titles won by a school in one sport. Nazareth’s last state championship win came in 2023.
No. 5 Nazareth finishes the season with a 29-9 record after defeating Prinlge-Morse, McLean, Sands, Texline and Jayton in the postseason to reach the Class 1A Division II championship. Brooklyn Birkenfeld was the Lady Swifts’ leading scorer, finishing with 22 points, three rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal.
Game-changing plays
Nazareth jumped out to a 12-1 lead less than five minutes into the contest as the Lady Swifts started 5-of-6 from the field. Saltillo missed its first seven field goal attempts, and the Lady Eagles trailed 14-4 after the opening frame.
Saltillo knocked down its first field goal in the second quarter as the team showed signs of life on offense, but Garry Davison’s group couldn’t pull within striking distance. Nazareth held a 26-11 advantage at halftime behind 14 points, two rebounds and two blocks from Birkenfeld, who went 5-of-5 from the field in 13 first-half minutes.
The Lady Swifts continued to pile on in the penultimate frame as Birkenfeld knocked down her first triple and Nazareth’s lead swelled to nearly 30 points. At the end of the third quarter, Eric Schilling’s team was ahead 41-15.
Nazareth closed out its dominant performance with a strong fourth quarter, finishing off a 53-31 win and continuing the Lady Swifts’ incredible tradition on the hardwood with another UIL title.
They said it
Nazareth head coach Eric Schilling: “Pretty good representation of what this team has been all year, starting with our defense. You know, just such a gritty, tough, defensive team. That’s what we’re always going to hang our hat on, especially early in the game, and just trust that our offense is going to come along. That’s exactly what happened.”
Nazareth senior Brooklyn Birkenfeld: “(2023) was great when we won, because, I don’t know, I guess none of us were really expecting it. And, the atmosphere in this gym, playing in a big gym like this for one of the very first times, the feeling is crazy. Knowing now that we went out on a big win like this, because I don’t think a lot of people thought we would be here, and we just fought. And the feeling that we get to spend our last senior basketball game on this court is just awesome, and the win just makes it even better.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Nazareth girls basketball defeats Saltillo in Class 1A DII state title
