The Lady Devils are back! For the first time in 36 years, SMHS girls’ basketball won the state championship 45-35 against the Gilmer County Lady Titans. Brynnley Bulluck, who achieved all-tournament team, as well as 2026 MVP of the tournament, stated it was a great honor to rekindle the great legacy of the Lady Devil teams that came before them. Gilmer County was the defending Class A state champs last year and entered this year’s championship with a 25-1 record. The Lady Titans had a pair of 6-foot-4 twin sisters who played the center position and a 6-foot forward, making them by far the tallest team in the tournament. St. Marys tallest was Bulluck at 5-foot-10. The Lady Devils’ other four starters and two main substitutes were only 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8, putting them at a huge size difference.
In addition to Bulluck, Anna Bennett, and sophomore guard Laney Watkins, Coach King was joined in the post-game press conference by point guard Landry Riggs. Riggs played a crucial role in the championship win, making all 9 of her points 3’s. Bulluck, Bennett, and Watkins were all named to the eight-player all-tournament team chosen by the sports writers attending the tournament. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player must be one of those named from the all-tournament selection, and this year’s MVP was Bulluck, who was the highest scorer in the tournament with 68 points for an average of 22.6 ppg. All Lady Devils will be returning next season, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store!
