San Antonio, TX-

There couldn’t have been a State Championship game with any more different contrasting styles. Cedar Park featured a full throttle, get up and down the court, relentless attack. While the Redhawks of Frisco Liberty are an extremely methodical offense running sets 6-7 times through sometimes more, before hoisting up a shot. Something had to give and it eventually did.

Cedar Park simply flexed their muscle and in the end, the bigger, quicker and more athletic team prevailed. Only up by a point, 36-35 with 2:40 left in the contest, the T-Wolves went to their main guns. Standout sophomore Giselle Maul would get deep in the paint and connect on a lay-in. Next time down she would draw contact again deep on the block and hit one of two free throws. Teammate Shelby Hayes got in on the action the next time down, as she was so well established down low that she was almost under the rim. She came up on the right side of the iron and was still able to lay it in. A one-point game turned into a six point lead for Cedar Park and that was more than enough.

Tack on five more free throws and the Lady Timberwolves would watch the clock salt away as they embraced each other during the craziness that ensued and earned claim to the Texas UIL State 5A Crown, 46-39.

Maul would earn State Championship “MVP” Honors, leading Cedar Park with 15 points and 4 rebounds. In a tight, defensive grudge match, her buckets were all critical. The Redhawks had no match for her quickness and athleticism.

Teammate Shelby Hayes flirted with a double-double logging 10 and 8, as her 6’2” frame was a daunting figure all evening. She and the rest of the Cedar Park team were suffocating and held Frisco Liberty to 9 points for the entire first half.

Early on, the T-Wolves dominated every facet of the game as the Redhawks only mustered four field goals in the first sixteen minutes. Amazingly, every column in the statcast tremendously favored Cedar Park, but it was only good enough for a 19-9, halftime edge.

Although the stats were one-side, it was fascinating seeing how the Redhawks had managed to keep within striking distance and even set themselves up to jump in front.

When the Redhawks trimmed it to a one point contest there was an aura that was unmatched, and it was quickly evident that Cedar Park's two best players (Maul and Hayes) were not gonna let this one get away. It was a reassurance that the Lady T-Wolves would be able to dig in, and hold on. That’s exactly what they did.

This is Cedar Park’s first Girls State Championship and the Lady Timberwolves finished the 2020-2021 UIL Season with a nearly perfect record of 27-1. They consistently dominated teams all season and in the end, when things narrowed and tightened, they were able to counter-punch and register the knockout.

Head Coach Donny Ott and his team grinded and battled their way to the top of the mountain. Ending in the most envious way possible, by winning their last game of the season and earning the right to be called, “UIL Texas 5A State Champions.”