Lady Bulldogs advance to tournament final

The Empire girls used a dominant second quarter to break open a close game on their way to Saturday's Stephens County championship game against Ryan with a 62-24 win over Velma-Alma on Thursday night.\
The Lady Comets had cut the lead to 12-11 late in the first quarter when Empire's Avery Smith nailed a three-pointer from the corner with seconds remaining to give the Lady Bulldogs a 15-11 advantage.
The trey was a big momentum shift toward Empire. The Lady Bulldogs opened the second on a 13-0 run and the Lady Comets never recovered. Empire ended the quarter with a 34-18 halftime lead. 
Empire's dominance continued in the third quarter. The Lady Bulldogs' pressure defense and pinpoint shooting allowed them to extend their lead even more. They held the Lady Comets without a field goal and enjoyed a 53-20 lead heading into the final quarter where they finished the game out with a 38-point win. The last time the two teams met a couple of weeks ago, Empire won by just eight points.
Empire, the No. 1 seed, will take on No. 2 seed Ryan on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Scoring
Empire (13-1): Chanlie Rochell, 14; Keira Pineda, 12; Shiann Walker, 8; Kylie Lemons, 7; Sarah Vanderburg, 6; Chazli Massey, 6; Laynie Johnson, 4
Velma-Alma (7-11): Azya Pemberton, 7; Saylar Garett, 7; Tegan Bowen, 3; Presley Condit, 3; Krystan Tadlock, 3; Abby Pollock, 2;