Despite having one of the area’s youngest teams, Austin emerged as one of the best.

With two freshmen and a sophomore in the starting lineup — and another freshman coming off the bench — the Black Bears (23-7) finished strong after the holiday break, winning the Class 6A, Area 15 title and advancing to the Northwest Regional semifinals.

“This team was a lot of fun to be a part of,” Hamilton said. “Our seniors became really good leaders, and everything just sort of gelled. The players are the ones who made this a good season, because they’re the ones who did everything we asked, worked hard and put it all together on the court.”

Austin graduates three seniors, including a pair of starters in Takisha Jordan and Meagan Hamilton.

“Those seniors did a lot for our program,” Hamilton said. “They really helped bring our younger players along.”