SAN ANTONIO, TX — The No. 1-ranked Wall girls basketball team completed its remarkable season with a 49-34 win over No. 24 Central Heights on Friday in the Class 3A Division II state final at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
It was the third state title in program history as the Lady Hawks joined the 2014 and '16 teams.
Wall sophomore Jewels Johnson was named the state final MVP after scoring nine points to go along with 10 rebounds, three steals, three assists and a block.
Wall finished its season with a record of 37-3 and a 16-game winning streak. Central Heights had its 21-game winning streak snapped and ended its year with a record of 32-6.
"I'm just speechless," Wall second-year head coach Silas Crisler said. "These kids bought in since Day 1, and we talked about it last year after losing to Tolar in (the area round), and these kids just said that wasn't going to happen again, and they proved that tonight and proved that every day."
Wall's trademark all season was its defense and depth, and both showed up Friday.
The Lady Hawks held Central Heights to just 11-of-51 shooting and forced 16 turnovers. Star guard Peaches Gallien scored 15 points, but she made only 3 of 19 shots and did a lot of her damage at the free-throw line.
Wall's offense, meanwhile, had eight different players score on 18-of-47 shooting, led by junior McKenzie Lopez with 11 points. Lopez also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Emery Harper added eight points, nine rebounds and two steals, while Kenzzie Covert had eight points, three rebounds and a steal.
Crisler talked about his team's defense, which finished the season allowing an average of 30.7 points per game, even if with its difficult schedule.
"We preach it, preach it, preach it," Crisler said of defense, "because they know offense will not travel every single time. Now tonight it kind of did, and it showed on the scoreboard getting up by as much as 20. But we want to be the toughest team in the state of Texas, and we proved that today."
The game couldn't have gone much better for Wall. The Lady Hawks jumped out to a 12-1 lead and led 14-4 by the end of the first quarter and 23-13 at halftime.
Wall began to pull away with four 3-pointers in the third quarter, including two by Covert and one at the buzzer by Kylee Holik for an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter at 39-21.
Considering the gauntlet Wall had to run through in the playoffs, this was perhaps its most convincing win since the first round.
After all, the Lady Hawks had to overcame a halftime deficit in the second round of the playoffs against Tolar, and they had three straight battles after that in wins over No. 3 Idalou, No. 2 Coahoma and No. 6 Paradise.
Incredibly, Wall knocked off 12 state-ranked teams this season, proving over and over again the Lady Hawks were worthy of their No. 1 state ranking.
The Wall girls basketball team poses with its championship trophy after defeating Central Heights 49-34 in the Class 3A Division II state final Monday, March 6, 2026, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
"Early on, we played teams like Seminole and Fredericksburg and Abilene Wylie, and we knew win or lose that we were going to learn from it," Crisler said. "We played Brock at Brock, and that game was really challenging and really pushed us to get better, and we learned from it, and we would've taken 15 losses if it meant we'd be sitting here right now."
Wall's last loss was against a Decatur team ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 4A.
"It was 13-9 at the half, and I looked at my assistant and was like, 'These kids don't fear anybody,'" Crisler said. "(Decatur has) three kids going to play Power 4 basketball, and one of our kids has a Division II offer, and the rest are just hard-nosed farm kids. It just speaks to how tough they are. I can sit here and talk about them for six or seven hours. They're just an amazing group of kids. Not many people get to sit here and smile at the end of the season, and I'm so glad they get to experience that."
Wall began the season ranked No. 22 in the state following last year's second-round playoff loss, but the Lady Hawks quickly vaulted to the top of the rankings and handled the pressure of the No. 1 spot for months.
They'll lose four seniors — Kennedi Graves, Kathrine Lewis, Emery Harper and Aliyah Vera — but they'll return a talented roster led by Johnson and Lopez for next season's title defense.
Wall's McKenzie Lopez drives against Central Heights' defense in the Class 3A Division II state final Friday, March 6, 2026.
Wall also now has the defending state champions in girls basketball, football, baseball and boys golf.
Once again, Wall's community showed up in a big way Friday in San Antonio to support its athletes.
"Wall travels and we know it," Crisler said. "One thing for me that got me even more motivated for our state championship run we wanted to make was watching our football and volleyball team. Our football goes to Jerry's World, and I'm looking around like, 'Oh my gosh, this is amazing. If we can get even a fraction of that in San Antonio, we'll do a great job.
"It felt like our whole town was here. The word I keep using is 'gold mine,' because that's what Wall is. I appreciate the fans and parents and kids. There's just nothing else like it. I'm so honored to be their coach and be with them every single day. It's been an amazing ride."
Wall 49, Central Heights 34
Wall 14 9 16 10 — 49
C. Heights 4 9 8 13 — 34
WALL — Kennedi Graves 3, Kathrine Lewis 2, McKenzie Lopez 11, Jewels Johnson 9, Emery Harper 8, Kylee Holik 3, Kenzzie Covert 8, Brynlee Graves 5.
CENTRAL HEIGHTS — McKennadie Wynn 3, Peaches Gallien 15, Jakenzie Gallien 9, Lauren Colotta 2, Aubrey Jolley 5.
Wall sophomore Jewels Johnson was named the Class 3A Division II state final MVP after the Lady Hawks defeated Central Heights on Friday, March 6, 2026.
The Wall Lady Hawks prepare for their game against Central Heights in the Class 3A Division II state final Friday, March 6, 2026.
The Wall Lady Hawks warm up before their game against Central Heights in the Class 3A Division II state final Friday, March 6, 2026.
The Wall girls basketball team celebrates its win over Central Heights in the Class 3A Division II state final Monday, March 6, 2026, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Wall basketball players (from left) Kennedi Graves, Kathrine Lewis and Emery Harper pose with head coach Silas Crisler after their state championship win Monday, March 6, 2026.
LIVE UPDATES
2:22 p.m. Final: Wall 49, Central Heights 34
2:21 p.m. Wall dribbles the clock out, and the Lady Hawks celebrate a 49-34 win for their third state title in program history!
2:19 p.m. After a free throw by McKenzie Lopez, Peaches Gallien hits another 3, and it's now 49-34 with 29 seconds left.
2:18 p.m. Central Heights' Peaches Gallien with a 3 to make it 48-31 with 1:05 remaining.
2:17 p.m. Wall's Brynlee Graves hits two free throws for a 48-28 lead with 1:15 to play.
2:15 p.m. Wall still leading 46-28 with just 1:39 to play. Central Heights has made only 9 of 49 shots against Wall's defense.
2:13 p.m. Putback by Olivia Elliott, but Central Heights trails 46-28 with 3:08 left.
2:12 p.m. Jakenzie Gallien with a short jumper, but Wall right back on top by 20 after a layup by Jewels Johnson. Wall leads 46-26 with 3:59 to play.
2:11 p.m. Timeout by Central Heights with 4:40 left in the game and Wall leading 44-24.
2:10 p.m. Jakenzie Gallien answers with Central Heights' first 3 of the game. Wall still ahead 44-24 with under 5 minutes to play.
2:09 p.m. McKenzie Lopez buries a 3-pointer, and the Lady Hawks are now ahead 44-21.
2:08 p.m. McKenzie Lopez with a layup 11 seconds into the fourth quarter to give Wall a 41-21 lead.
2:07 p.m. One of the biggest strengths for Wall is its depth, and the Lady Hawks have shown it off today with eight different players scoring.
2:06 p.m. End of 3rd Quarter: Wall 39, Central Heights 21
2:05 p.m. Wow, Kylee Holik hits a 3 at the buzzer! Wall will take a 39-21 lead into the fourth quarter.
2:04 p.m. Peaches Gallien with a basket inside to cut Wall's lead to 36-21 in the final minute of the quarter.
2:03 p.m. Kenzzie Covert with another 3! Wall on top 36-19 late in the third quarter.
1:59 p.m. Peaches Gallien continues to get put on the free-throw line. On her sixth trip, she makes 1 of 2 shots, and Central Heights' deficit is still 33-19 with 2:20 to play in the third quarter.
1:58 p.m. McKennadie Wynn with a free throw for Central Heights, but Wall's Kenzzie Covert answers with a 3! The Lady Hawks have their biggest lead of the game at 33-18 with 2:35 to go in the third quarter.
1:57 p.m. Kenzzie Covert with a putback off a missed free throw, and Wall leads 30-17 with 3:13 left in the third quarter.
1:54 p.m. Timeout by Central Heights with Wall leading 28-17 with 4:01 to go in the third quarter.
1:52 p.m. Peaches Gallien gets to the free-throw line for the fifth time today. She makes 1 of 2 shots, and Central Heights within 28-17 with 4:42 to play in the third quarter.
1:51 p.m. Peaches Gallien with a free throw, and Wall's lead trimmed to 28-16.
1:50 p.m. Jewels Johnson, who is just a sophomore, putting together a heck of an all-around game for Wall. She has seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, two assists and a block.
1:49 p.m. Jewels Johnson with a block, and then McKenzie Lopez hits a 3-pointer! Wall now ahead 28-15 with 5:25 left in the third quarter.
1:48 p.m. Jewels Johnson with a layup off a Kathrine Lewis assist, and Wall leads 25-15.
1:47 p.m. Peaches Gallien with a pair of free throws, and Central Heights down 23-15 a minute into the second half.
1:46 p.m. The second half is now underway. Central Heights misses its first shot, followed by a Wall turnover on its opening possession of the third quarter.
1:36 p.m. Wall's offense was 9-of-24 in the first half and turned the ball over 9 times. However, the Lady Hawks' defense held Central Heights to 5-of-23 shooting and forced 12 turnovers.
1:35 p.m. Halftime: Wall 23, Central Heights 13
1:34 p.m. Kathrine Lewis with a layup off a turnover for a 23-11, but Central Heights' Lawson Keeling hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it 23-13 at the half.
1:33 p.m. Jewels Johnson with a steal and a tough layup, and Wall on top 21-11 in the final minute of the half.
1:31 p.m. Wall freshman Brynlee Graves connects on a 3-pointer, and Wall extends its lead to 19-11 with 2:15 left in the half. That ended a scoring drought that lasted just over four minutes for the Lady Hawks.
1:28 p.m. Jakenzie Gallien with another shot inside, and Central Heights is now within 16-11. The Lady Devils are on a 7-0 run, and Wall has hit a bit of a drought on offense.
1:27 p.m. Wall calls a timeout with 3:49 to play in the first half. The Lady Hawks still lead 16-9.
1:26 p.m. Jakenzie Gallien with a shot inside for Central Heights, and Wall's lead has now been cut to 16-9 with 5:17 left in the second quarter.
1:24 p.m. Olivia Elliott makes a shot while being fouled, then knocks down the free throw, pulling Central Heights within 16-7.
1:21 p.m. Emery Harper draws a foul, and the senior is having a strong start to this game. She makes both free throws to give Wall a 16-4 lead. Harper with 8 points and 3 rebounds. She hasn't missed a shot yet.
1:17 p.m. End of 1st Quarter: Wall 14, Central Heights 4
1:16 p.m. McKennadie Wynn with a fast-break layup for Central Heights' first field goal with 35 seconds left in the first quarter, but Wall answers right back with a shot by Emery Harper. Wall will take a 14-4 lead into the second quarter.
1:14 p.m. Peaches Gallien with a free throw to cut Wall's lead to 12-2. Central Heights still hasn't made a shot from the floor with an 0-for-10 showing so far. Less than a minute to play in the first quarter.
1:11 p.m. Wall with another defensive stop, and then Emery Harper with a turnaround hook, and Wall extends its lead to 12-1. What a start by the Lady Hawks.
1:09 p.m. Jewels Johnson nails a 3-pointer, and Wall leads 10-1! Timeout by Central Heights with 4:16 left in the first quarter. Wall is 4-of-5 from the floor, while Central Heights is 0-of-8.
1:08 p.m. Emery Harper knocks down a short jumper, and the Lady Hawks have scored on each of their first three possessions. Nice start for an early 7-1 lead.
1:06 p.m. McKenzie Lopez hits a shot while being fouled. She misses the free throw, however, so Wall's lead is 5-1.
1:04 p.m. Central Heights on the board after a free throw by Peaches Gallien. Wall leads 3-1 with 6:37 remaining in the first quarter.
1:03 p.m. Kennedi Graves hits a 3-pointer on Wall's first possession, and the Lady Hawks with a quick 3-0 lead.
1:01 p.m. The starting lineups are being announced. Tipoff is now just moments away.
12:51 p.m. Wall's last three playoff wins were against No. 3 Idalou in the regional semifinals, No. 2 Coahoma in the regional final and No. 6 Paradise in the state semifinals. Central Heights' last three wins were against No. 23 West in the regional semifinals, No. 7 Buffalo in the regional final and No. 19 Jourdanton in the state semifinals.
12:48 p.m. Wall began this season ranked No. 22, while Central Heights was unranked. Neither team has lost since December. Wall has won 15 in a row. Central Heights has won 21 straight.
12:45 p.m. We are 15 minutes from tipoff between the Wall Lady Hawks (36-3) and Central Heights Lady Devils (32-5). Wall is playing in its fifth state final in program history and shooting for its third state title. The other titles came in 2014 and 2016. Central Heights is playing in its second state final. The Lady Devils won it all back in 2001.
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