In the past calendar year, Meridian’s girls basketball team appeared in two state championship games, won two regional championships, and won a state title. Their quest for a second straight state championship came to an end on Thursday, when the Mustangs (25-2) lost, 51-47, to Carroll County (26-1).

The Mustangs and Cavaliers played a back-and-forth game that could have easily been decided by a coin toss. Carroll County scored first 23 seconds into the game, but Meridian took the lead soon after with a three-pointer from Elizabeth Creed a few seconds later. Meridian ended the first quarter with a slight lead, 15-11.

The rest of the game was full of lead changes. Carroll County entered halftime winning 27-24. A 5-0 run to start the second half, culminating in a Megan Tremblay two-pointer, resulted in Meridian leading, 30-29, with 5:51 remaining in the quarter. The Cavaliers took back the lead soon after, however, the Mustangs tied the game 34-34 with 2:32 left. At the conclusion of the third quarter, Carroll County led 38-35. Both teams scored exactly 11 points in the third quarter.

The last two minutes of the fourth quarter was chaotic. Carroll County took the lead with 1:51 remaining and never looked back, with Meridian continuously fouling to regain possession. The Mustangs’ last minute buzzer-beater attempts failed, sealing the win for Carroll County.

For the first time against a Class 3 opponent, the Mustangs found an equal. Dominant Meridian point guard Zoraida Icabalceta and her Cavalier counterpart, Alyssa Ervin, both led their teams on the court. Ervin scored 21 points as none of her teammates reached double digits. Icabalceta scored 11, as did Elizabeth Creed. The only Mustang to outscore them was Megan Tremblay with 12 points.