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Eudora players pose with the team’s sub-state championship trophy after winning a girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

Early in Friday’s substate championship tilt, it appeared the Eudora Cardinals girls basketball team was in for a dogfight. In the opening quarter, the Cardinals had as many turnovers as they did points (five), and were staring down the barrel of a seven-point deficit.

“In the first quarter, adrenaline was getting the best of us, and we were turning the ball over too much,” head coach Brandon Parker said. “I thought we showed pretty good maturity and settled down.

“Our defense made it really difficult for them to score.”

Despite the stakes – a second consecutive trip to the Class 4A state tournament on the line on its home court – Eudora didn’t blink, as it outscored Ottawa by 24 points in the final three quarters on its way to a 45-28 win to punch a ticket to state.

“It’s a great feeling, Avah Dye said of qualifying for the state tournament. “We’ve been working hard for this all year, and I feel like our effort really paid off. (But) we have more to go.”

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Eudora’s Avery Warren lifts up the sub-state championship trophy in celebration of the Cardinals won a girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

Dye led Eudora (21-3) in scoring with 14 points, while Brynn Deterding added 12 points. It was just the second time that the Cardinals won a game scoring fewer than 50 points this season. Ottawa (18-8) was led by Leah Askins-Dieterich, who scored a game-high 17 points.

The Cardinals were able to make her work, as Askins-Dieterich shot just 5-of-13 from the field.

“We have a great amount of respect for Leah (Askins-Dieterich),” Parker said. “She’s a really good player. It’s more just making her have to work for everything, and letting fatigue be another defender. Izzy (Brunkow) and Avery (Warren) did a nice job of making it difficult.”

Eight of Askins-Dieterich’s points came in the opening quarter, which included a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cyclones a 12-5 lead. But the Cardinals turned up the defense, and the Cyclones only scored 16 points in the final three quarters. They had more than double the amount of turnovers (17) as made shots (eight) in the game on their way to shooting 24% from the field.

Eudora found its footing on offense, too.

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Eudora’s Avah Dye dribbles up the court during a girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

After scoring its only two buckets of the opening frame in transition, the Cardinals’ pristine ball movement led to wide-open layups and jump shots as they blitzed the Cyclones 17-3 in the second quarter. All eight of Payton Lewis’ points came in the period, including a three-pointer to give Eudora a 15-14 lead, which it would never relinquish.

It was more of the same in the third, as Eudora finally penetrated the teeth of an Ottawa zone defense that packed the paint. Dye was the beneficiary of the interior passing, as she scored eight points on 3-of-4 shooting in the third quarter, and an and-one basket by Deterding helped the Cardinals pull away for good.

“We all do a great job with that. If our shot isn’t falling, just driving to the paint,” Deterding said. “They have a big post in the paint, so just driving and kicking out to our shooters. Avah (Dye) and everyone did an amazing job of that and finding teammates.”

Now, Eudora awaits its opponent in next week’s state tournament with high hopes of a better result than a year ago, when it lost a lopsided contest to Bishop Miege in the quarterfinals.

“We’re enjoying this,” Deterding said of Friday’s win, “but then (Saturday), we’re going to the gym for practice and going back to work knowing we have something bigger to do.”

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Eudora’s Brynn Deterding shoots a 3-pointer during a girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

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Eudora’s Brynn Deterding hugs Ottawa’s Leah Askins-Dieterich following a girls basketball game on March 6 at Eudora High School.

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Eudora’s players celebrate a big play during a girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

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Eudora’s Payton Lewis cuts down a piece of the net after her team won a sub-state girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

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Eudora’s Karley Owens cuts down a piece of the net after her team won a sub-state girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

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Eudora’s Jayla Colter, Brynn Deterding and Avah Dye huddle up holding their pieces of the net after the Cardinals won a sub-state girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Eudora’s players begin to walk back towards their bench area after posing with the sub-state championship trophy after winning a girls basketball game against Ottawa on March 6 at Eudora High School.