The Thunderbirds lost 47-43 to No. 3 Sheridan, resulting in a third consecutive semifinal loss. East couldn’t overcome offensive struggles, shooting just 4-of-22 (18.2%) in the second half, and 1-of-13 (7.69%) from 3-point range overall.
The T-Birds’ defense made its presence felt early as junior Peyton Hall stole the ball on Sheridan’s first possession and went coast-to-coast for the game’s first points. The Broncs answered on their next touch, but didn’t score again until the final minute of the first quarter.
East went on a 7-0 run during that span, including an and-1 from junior Cashlynn Haws. Sheridan took one timeout in the frame, leading to a pair of layups in its final minute.
Defense continued controlling the pace of play in the second, with just three combined points scored over the first three minutes. The Broncs got their first field goal of the frame to fall with 4 minutes, 52 seconds left in the half on a 3-pointer from junior Camryn Wagner.
Shortly after, back-to-back East turnovers allowed Sheridan to bring the deficit within three points. However, T-Birds junior Jade Brown had a busy end to the half, making three layups over the final 1:24.
The Broncs had 10 first-half turnovers, while East had nine. Each team had five steals.
Bilyeu scored consecutive baskets to tie the game once again, but an and-1 from East sophomore Maleea Cruz put the T-Birds back on top. Bilyeu then stole her fourth pass of the night to tie the game in the final seconds, forcing an overtime period.
