Jayci Barnes shoots a 3-pointer from the top of the key in Paradise’s 54-51 3A Division II State Semifinal loss to Wall Tuesday in Comanche. Barnes scored 14 points and made a trio of 3-pointers. MIKE HALL | FOR THE MESSENGER
The No. 1 Wall Lady Hawks added another impressive win to their already-stellar 2026 postseason resume in the 3A Division II State Semifinals Tuesday, taking down No. 6 Paradise 54-51 after squeaking by the Lady Panthers in a back-and-forth final 8 minutes.
Down 4 inside of a minute to play, Paradise guards Lainey Munden and Renlee Longenbaugh forced a Wall turnover by trapping a ball handler against the sidelines. On the ensuing possession, freshman Hartley Barnes buried a step-back 3-pointer for the Lady Panthers to cut Wall’s lead to 52-51.
With the stakes at an all-time high for the Lady Hawks, McKenzie Lopez pulled through for Wall. She hit a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to play, and on the other end of the court, Paradise couldn’t find a shot to send the state semifinal into overtime.
Paradise ended its season at 33-5. Wall will play Central Heights in the 3A Division II State Championship Friday at the Alamodome.
“We knew coming in it would be 32 minutes of brutality, just with how we get after them and how they get after us,” Paradise coach Michael Barnes said. “Honestly, I think it’s the free throws that really killed us. We ended up somewhere around 50 percent from the line when we’re usually around 70-80. …And at the end, I thought I might call a timeout, but at that point as a coach, you kind of roll the dice, especially with the ball in a senior’s hand.”
“I think if you play this game 10 times these two teams split 5-5.”
Wall jumped out ahead of Paradise in the 2 minutes after tip-off, but the Lady Panthers’ 3-point shooting got them back on track. Jayci Barnes splashed home a three at the top of the key to put Paradise ahead 17-13, and scored 9 points in the first frame, but Wall took back the lead (18-17) with a 5-0 run to close out the first quarter.
Allie McCormick stole back the lead for Paradise in the first minute of the second quarter with a floater in the lane. Paradise stayed ahead of Wall over the next 6 minutes, but Jewels Johnson gave the Lady Hawks a boost of energy.
After fighting from behind all quarter, Johnson’s 3-pointer lifted Wall over the Lady Panthers, 25-24, then Kennedi Graves landed a pair of Wall free shots to close out the Lady Hawks’ 7-1 run and maintain the lead at halftime. Johnson and Graves led Wall’s offense with 23 and 15 points, respectively. Both had 9 in the first half.
“We came in as underdogs, and you could see how hard we fought to keep things back-and-forth,” Coach Barnes said.
Paradise junior Brittan Richey knotted the score at 30 with a corner three at the 3:08 mark in the third quarter, but Johnson responded with her own off of an inbound.
Wall then took back control of the game, and outscored Paradise 15-7 in the third period to take an 8-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Hawks’ momentum rolled into the fourth quarter where they went up 44-32 with 6:19 to play, but Paradise clawed its way back into the contest.
Richey and Jayci Barnes both cashed in on outside shots with under 4 minutes to play, and helped cut Wall’s lead to 46-43, then Hartley Barnes made it a 1-point game with a 2-for-2 trip to the free throw line.
Paradise lost a key 3-point shooting piece after Jayci Barnes fouled out with 2:55 to play, and Wall made some breathing room with a 52-45 lead. But again, Paradise didn’t give up the fight.
McCormick hit another signature floater, Munden landed a free throw and after Wall’s late turnover, Hartley Barnes silenced the Wall fans with her step-back three. But the Lady Panthers couldn’t get one more magical moment to happen, and fell just short of the dramatic comeback.
Jayci and Hartley Barnes both turned in 14-point nights for Paradise. McCormick had 9.
Coach Barnes said the elite shot-making to keep Wall in check didn’t come as a surprise to him. It’s what his team has done consistently.
“These kids play high level AAU ball. They’ve got experience playing against D1 commits, kids that are going to programs like Oklahoma State and Ohio State,” he said. “They spend hours and hours in the gym, ever since they hit the floor for us. They put the time in, so the confidence level to take those shots is there, and the ability is, too.”
Paradise will lose seniors Kimber Euler and Longenbaugh. Coach Barnes said he feels that Paradise’s championship window is still wide open, even with a move next year to Region I, where the Lady Panthers could likely see Wall again.
“We get a majority back, so I love where we’re at. Region I is going to be a gauntlet, but these kids work hard, love the game and they’re going to take this loss and run with it,” Coach Barnes said. “That’s what we told them: Let this one sting. And when you get back to this moment, know what it feels like and let it fuel you.”
“We’re ecstatic about what we have coming back,” Coach Barnes added. “The expectation with this team is state or bust.”
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