LEWISTON, ID- The Grangeville girls basketball team advanced to the championship game against the Clarkston Bantams in the Avista holiday tournament. The Bantams ended up beating the Bulldogs 72-32.

But their championship run all started with their very first game of the tournament, beating the Lewiston Bengals 54-52, thanks to a go ahead shot from their lone senior.

"We knew that we had to get up, because we were down by 6 with 44 seconds left. We pushed the ball, got some steals, and the last bucket, I don't know, it was just there, and natural," said Grangeville senior Mattie Thacker.

Despite the Bengals crawling back into the game, shooting guard Mattie Thacker says it was the team's resilience that led them to victory.

"We're very strong mentally. we all have a very strong team dynamic, and work together very well. We don't push each other to where it's over the limits."

Their mental toughness has propelled the team's success this year, sitting at a 9-2 overall record. The opportunity to play in the Avista holiday tournament each year prepares them for conference play down the road.

"Our league isn't a whole lot of competition for us, but I'm excited for Kellogg because they'll be decent this year. It's fun playing the bigger schools and getting some challenge in," Thacker said.

Thacker not only leads by example on the court averaging 12.7 points per game, but she's also the only senior on the roster.

"It's fun, and entertaining. I look at some of them as my younger sisters now." I helped out a lot mentally, I learned good sportsmanship and picked that up a lot this year being the only senior and the oldest."