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The Pike Liberal Arts Lady Patriots couldn’t overcome a slow start in a 46-24 loss to Glenwood in the AISA Class 3A Final Four on Friday morning at the Crampton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery.

The Patriots scored just four first-quarter points and went into the second trailing 15-4. The Patriots were able to stay within shouting distance, but the early hole was too deep to climb out of.

“We knew they had a serious size advantage on us and we know we had to make some shots early on and we just couldn’t,” head coach Brandon Matthews said. “They responded well. They came out in the second half and they continued to fight. I am extremely proud of them.”

The Gators featured plenty of size down low in Myra Brooks and Ja’Marra McDowell.

“It’s tough,” Matthews said. “They have some solid post players. We played fundamentally against them. They made some shots. I think we gave them a few second-chance points and that probably hurt us in the long run.”

Tiffany Johnson scored Pike’s only points in the second quarter on a 3-pointer. The Patriots allowed eight points and went into halftime trailing 23-7.

Johnson hit another three to begin Pike’s scoring in the second half to pull the Patriots to within 15 at 25-10.

The Gators closed out the quarter on a 10-3 run and rolled into the fourth quarter leading 35-13.

The Patriots pulled to within 19 points to begin the fourth quarter after Ansley Adams made a shot while being fouled. She finished off the three-point play, bringing the score to 35-16.

The Patriots sneaked back to within 16 points at 40-24 before the Gators scored six-straight points.

Johnson finished with a team-high nine points, Caroline Senn and Shelby Renfroe added five and Ansley Adams finished with three. Lakin Harrell had two.

“I have never had this much fun coaching a group of people as I have had with them,” Matthews said. “They responded well and responded to every challenge I gave them. They kept believing and they were tough. I am thankful for them, specifically those seniors. Those seniors did an awesome job in terms of leading the team.”