The Tensas Lady Chiefs held Trinity Episcopal to just two field goals in the first 11:32 of the game en route to a 55-32 thumping for the MPSA District 7-A championship Thursday night at Huntington.

The win was the third for the Lady Chiefs over the Lady Saints this season in a tie-breaker game for the district title.

Mary Miller Ratcliff led Tensas with 21 points on the night, and Kaitlen Emfinger and Jordan Leake pitched in 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Only four Lady Saints were able to crack the scoring column, and Eliza Jones and Brandy Hall led the way, with 13 and 11.

Tensas built a 20-7 lead midway through the second quarter by virtue of poor Trinity shooting, but the Lady Saints went on a 6-0 run before halftime to pull within seven.

That first half slump is what both coaches felt was the difference.

“(We) were ready to play,” Tensas head coach Allen Crigler said. “I was afraid they’d be nervous because they were pumped up before the game, but they came out and played well. Trinity just didn’t hit its threes early, and we were able to get a lead. They started hitting them, but by then it was too late.”

“I thought Tensas played a great game,” Trinity head coach Melanie Hall said. “We made a lot of mental errors and didn’t bring our A-game, and they did. All the credit has to go to Tensas.”

After the Lady Saints pulled to within six at 24-18 early in the third quarter, Tensas outscored them 31-14 the rest of the way for the blowout win.

The Lady Chiefs finished the season at 13-17 and 7-2 in district play, and Crigler said the big difference in the season was the team finding its confidence.

“The girls started believing they could win,” he said. “We went down to the WCCA Shootout (in late December) and beat Oak Forest, which was a team that had beaten us earlier in the year we thought we should have beaten. Then the next week we came out and upset Trinity and they started believing in themselves.”

Tensas will now have a top seed in the upcoming South State tournament at Huntington, while Trinity will get a No. 2 seed.