North lost in the finals the last time the group competed in Section 7’s Girls Weekend.

The Mustangs refused to let it happen again.

This time, North left the Girls Weekend as champions of the OrthoArizona bracket. Chaparral was the last team that stood in the way, but North took care of that problem, 73-51, Saturday at the Arizona Athletic Grounds.

In the semifinals, Chaparral narrowly escaped Deer Valley, 31-29, in overtime, but the Firebirds got off to a rough start in the championship game.

North shot out to an early 17-0 lead behind freshman Tahjie Freeman and sophomore Xxylina Flores’ combined 15 points.

Freeman totaled 21 points in the finals. Flores, who led the team in points, assists and steals per game last season, finished the game with 15.

“Everybody was playing with heart,” Freeman said. “We wanted to go out there and win. I feel like we were the more aggressive team, and with all of us playing together, that just led to this outcome.”

Towards the end of the first half, the Firebirds started adapting to North’s aggressive playstyle.

They made the score a more respectable 36-21 before the second period.

Freshman Kaelie Weishaar was the highlight of the second half for the Firebirds, scoring 12 of her 13 points. Chaparral’s offense found more success as the game went on, but the Firebirds couldn’t keep up on defense.

“Defensively, we have to do a better job,” Chaparral head coach Mo Tangara said. “It starts with me. I’m really going to prepare them defensively, making sure we move our feet, have active hands and don’t give up those layups.”

Freeman and Flores did a lot of damage once again in the second half, when freshman Esefani Brunson joined the fun, scoring 14 of her 17 points.

Brunson’s barrage was the last straw for Chaparral, and North closed it out from there.

“We went up early, and then they fought back, which I knew they would because they’re a really good team,” North head coach Daryion Shabazz said. “Our reserves stepped in and kept it going, and then they opened it up down the stretch. I’m really proud of this team, we actually haven’t lost a game all summer. I love what they’re doing right now.”

Despite the loss, Tangara was grateful for her team’s Section 7 appearance.

“This is an incredible opportunity,” Tangara said. “When I was talking to the girls about Section 7, they got very excited. Some of them even stayed after practice because they were looking forward to this tournament. They get to see the competition level against these other teams, and on top of that, they’re getting more attention.”

Shabazz also was encouraged by what he saw from his group this summer.

He believes that great things are in store for the Mustangs.

“The sky is the limit for us,” Shabazz said. “We had a great season last season, and we only graduated one. We’re excited about what’s going to happen the rest of this summer. This is kind of the beginning of what’s going to happen next season.”