COLUMBIA, MO – Zha Harris and Amaya Manuel share more than a backcourt on the Lift for Life girls basketball team. They also share an intuitive sense of how each is feeling and where each is going.
“We really do have great chemistry together,” Harris said. “We count on each other. We really click.”
Harris and Manuel combined for 34 points on 14-of-19 shooting and helped Lift for Life capture its second consecutive state title with a 63-42 victory over St. Teresa’s at the Class 5 MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
Lift for Life (22-6), which won the state title in Class 4 last season, won all five playoff games this season by at least 20 points.
“I know what kind of talent we have and the hard work we put in every single day, so it wasn’t surprising,” first-year coach Chris Porter said of the dominant postseason. “Their relationships with each other, they’re chemistry, it just kind of takes over during games.”
That chemistry was exemplified by the guard combination of Manuel and Harris, who spearheaded a 13-0 run in the first quarter. A defensive rebound and outlet pass by Manuel sent Harris into the open floor for an ‘and-1.’ Harris repaid the favor by driving and kicking to Manuel for a right wing 3 to give the Hawks a double-digit lead six minutes into the game.
“We always find each other,” Harris said.
While Manuel provided the spark on offense with 15 first-half points, Harris was electric on defense. She hounded dribblers, tipped passes and held St. Teresa’s dynamic guard Jazlyn Rhodes to six points in the first half.
Lift for Life led 32-12 at halftime and forced 10 turnovers.
“They were really good at deflecting passes. It’s hard to see the court against them,” St. Teresa’s senior Nora Roddy said. “Kudos to them for being everywhere, hands everywhere. It was tough.”
St. Teresa’s (21-6), which was making its first final four appearance in 30 years and first championship game appearance in 40 years, settled into the game in the second half. Rhodes scored six points to open the third quarter, Roddy earned trips to the free throw line and the Stars played an even 14-14 quarter with the Hawks.
“We focused on being more comfortable in our offense in the second half,” Roddy said. “We didn’t let them stop us from running our plays and we got some really good looks. We turned it up in the second half.”
But every time St. Teresa’s crept within 14, the Hawks’ bench had the answer. A turnaround jumper by junior reserve Kahmlya Bell halted one Stars’ run. An offensive rebound and putback by sophomore Saudia Brock quelled another.
Bell and Brock combined to score 12 points to keep St. Teresa’s at arm’s length.
“We talk about staying ready, staying in the moment. At any point in time, anyone can get hot, even coming off the bench,” Porter said.
In its state championship game against Central-Park Hills last season, Lift for Life led by five points at halftime before pulling away in the second half. This season, the seasoned Hawks took control of the game immediately.
“It was our second state championship to compete in, and my thoughts coming into the game were, ‘We’ve got this,’” Harris said. “A lot of people doubted us. They said we couldn’t go back-to-back, so doing this was special, for sure.”
Harris shared her celebration with team mascot ‘Baby Shaq,’ a stuffed animal she received as a gift and which sits on the sidelines during practices and games.
“He’s like an extra player, a good luck charm,” Harris said.
And good luck to teams trying to stop the Hawks’ run of state titles, as Lift for Life will graduate no seniors from this year’s team.
“We’re so grateful to go back-to-back, and we’re so grateful to have everyone coming back to try to do it again,” Porter said.
For a photo gallery of the Class 5 championship game: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/2023-24-Girls-Basketball/Girls-Basketball-2024-25/Lift-for-Life-vs-Benton-Class-5-championship
Photo gallery of Lift for Life’s victory in the 2024 – Class 4 championship game: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/2023-24-Girls-Basketball/Girls-Basketball-2023-24/Lift-for-Life-vs-Central-Park-Hills-3-16-2024