There was a series of gasps in the closing seconds of Saturday's taut Class 1 girls state championship at Great Southern Bank Arena, none louder than when El Dorado Springs guard Neely Schaaf attempted to force overtime.
Schaaf found a cushion, drove, and made contact with Fair Grove forward Abbey Green a few feet from the rim, prompting a whistle before just before the buzzer.
An offensive foul call ended the suspense, and Fair Grove's party began.
Fair Grove clipped El Dorado Springs 54-52 to claim its first state title in program history, ending a postseason run that saw the Eagles withstand the classification's most proven heavyweights.