Quitman lost to Zwolle 48-42 on Monday in the semi-finals of the Class B state tournament played in Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, LA, the home of what the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) has dubbed “Marsh Madness.” 

Seeded #3 in the tournament, Quitman has their season come to an end with a very respective 26-6 record that included at one point a 20 game winning streak. With the victory, Zwolle (29-7) continues on their quest for their 18th state title, with a finals date matchup on Friday with #4 Lacassine, who beat #8 Pitkin 72-63 later Monday evening. 

Down 39-29 heading into the fourth quarter, Quitman looked hopelessly out of it. Then the Wolverines started inching back as Brayden Martin sandwiched a pair of free throws around the five points Taden Thomas made, and suddenly Quitman had cut the lead in half. Two more free throws by Martln narrowed the gap to 41-38, bringing Wolverine nation that braved the 3-hour rainy drive to south Louisiana to their feet. 

Sadly, that would be as close as Quitman would come, falling prey to bad shooting in the first half and the inability to stop Zwolle from getting second and third shots after controlling the glass, especially on the offensive end. 

“Even though we came up short, I’m proud of my guys,” reflected Quitman head coach Michael Black. “We faced adversity throughout. We struggled to score. They could have folded, but kept fighting.”  

Down 39-29 heading into the final frame, Braydent Smith made a basket, leading to Brayden Martin sandwiching a pair of free throws around three points from Taden Thomas, and suddenly the lead was cut to just a three-point deficit, the closest Quitman had been since midway through the first period. 

Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Wolverines would come, as Zwolle pulled away at the end by doing what they had done all game, dominating the inside. 

Quitman managed just 7 points in the first quarter and then could only duplicate the amount in the second as Zwolle took a 23-14 lead into the break. The 14 points were the fewest all year that Quitman had scored at the break, as the Wolverines shot 4-for-17, including just 2-for-10 from the three-point line. 

Despite the problem Quitman was having in scoring it paled in comparison to the trouble had with Zwolle getting second and third shots, by dominating the offensive glass. Zwolle cleaned the boards to the tune of a 35-15 advantage that included 19 ofrfensive rebounds leading to 24 points. 

Martin led Quitman in scoring with 22 points with Smith chippin in with 10 more. The pair combined to make 9 of 17 shots, while the remainder of the team went 4 of 19 as only Thomas, who ended with 9 and Asher Shultz made a free throw. 

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