HOT SPRINGS - The third time was the charm for the Lamar Lady Warriors' seniors.
Making its third trip to the state championship game in four years, Lamar took a second-quarter lead and never relinquished it for a 65-52 win Thursday night over neighboring Dover for the Class 3A girls state title at Bank OZK Arena.
Lamar (36-2) lost in the championship games in 2022 and 2023 and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the state tournament last season.
"We came up short a couple of times," Lamar Coach Brandon Schluterman said. "I joked with my wife this morning, 'If I go 0-3 can I still come home?' She said 'yes,' but there was a little doubt in her eyes.
"I told them in the locker room that they're going to hang the banner in a different place in that gym and that they can come back 20 years from now and we'll celebrate."
The Lady Warriors broke through for the third state title in team history along with thos won in 1991 and 1988 during a four-year run to title games.
"That emotion in the locker room was incredible," Schluterman said. "That group is so invested for having 20 players on it. Those 20 kids worked hard all season, and I'm incredibly proud of every one of them."
Senior Kori Sanders scored 29 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, made 5 steals and had 4 assists. She scored a combined 99 points in Lamar's four state tournament victories.
She lit it up from the beginning on Thursday, making four three-pointers in the first quarter and hitting a three in all four quarters, finishing 7 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Senior Emma Bailey, playing in her third state championship game, added four three-pointers and finished with 21 points and seven rebounds.
Madison Davidson, another senior playing in her third title game, added five points and three boards.
Lamar rode the three-point barrage from Sanders early for a 14-8 lead before Dover (34-1) answered with a 7-0 run to end the quarter for a 15-14 lead with Kenzie McCrotty scoring off an offensive rebound and hitting a three-pointer before Elle Morrow scored at the buzzer for the lead.
Logan Young converted a three-point play for Dover to open the second quarter, but Lamar took the lead for good with a 9-0 run during a three-minute span.
"Definitely, you got comfortable and our shots started falling once we saw a couple go in," Schluterman said. "Obviously, we played better from there. To have the lead at that point and go into the locker room at half, we made a couple of little adjustments, came back on the court and kept playing defense.
"I was really proud of our transition defense. I challenged them this week with some things, switching defenses and things. They executed to perfection tonight."
Sanders started the scoring spiel, the biggest by either team in the game, with her fifth three-pointer. Bailey followed with another, Macie Davidson scored inside and Sanders hit a free throw for a 23-18 lead with 4:30 left in the half.
Davidson scored a layup at the buzzer off a fastbreak pass from Sanders as Lamar took a 29-24 lead at the half.
Dover cut Lamar's lead back to 37-34 at the end of the third quarter, but Lamar answered again with a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter keyed by a three-pointer by Bailey.
Bailey's driving bucket with 3:42 left gave Lamar its biggest margin at 50-37 before Dover made a final run.
Kadee Keaster scored inside, Young hit two free throws and Keaster drove for a bucket to trim Lamar's lead to 50-43 with 2:26 left.
Bailey hit her fourth three-pointer to push Lamar back up 53-43 with 1:50 left.
"Tonight wasn't our night," Dover Coach Kristian Williams said. "Lamar showed up and we did not."
Young led Dover with 24 points and 15 rebounds. McCrotty chipped in nine points and 11 rebounds.