The 2023-24 season of Artesia High School basketball came to a close Thursday morning as the third-ranked Lady Bulldogs fell to No. 2 St. Pius in the Class 4A state semifinal round.
The No. 6 Bulldogs had fallen the day before in the quarterfinals to third-ranked Hope Christian, 67-61.
After trailing by just seven at the half Wednesday, the Artesia boys had fallen into a 17-point hole in the third, and despite a massive fourth-quarter comeback effort that saw the ‘Dogs post 31 points in the final eight minutes, the Huskies added 20 of their own to hold on for the win.
On Thursday, the Lady ‘Dogs got off to a solid start against the Lady Sartans, trailing by just four at the end of one, 16-12. But Pius — who shot lights out from beyond the arc in the first half — would outscore Artesia 24-8 in the second quarter, and the girls in orange were never able to overcome the 20-point halftime deficit, falling 61-41.
The Lady Bulldogs achieved a bit of history with their semifinal appearance, their first trip to the Final Four since the 1998-99 season. They closed out with a record of 22-7, while the Bulldogs finished 18-9.
