UNIVERSITY CITY – In what’s becoming as much of a spring ritual as April showers and May flowers, the Troy-Buchanan Trojans lost another quarterfinal matchup to Incarnate Word Saturday afternoon.

After winning their fourth consecutive district championship Tuesday, March 11, the Trojans lost their fourth consecutive quarterfinal to the Red Knights, 82-36.

With the win, Incarnate Word advances to the Final Four in Columbia this weekend where they will try to win an eighth consecutive state championship.

Playing at University City High School Saturday, Troy led early after Ellie Moore drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key in the game’s first minute.

After sputtering early, Incarnate Word’s offense started clicking with a basket from Indiana University recruit Navaeh Caffey. Caffey would lead the Red Knight offense with 20 points on seven of 12 shooting, adding four steals and three rebounds.

Less than 30 seconds later, Incarnate’s 6’2” center, Navaeh Lucious, scored her first three points on a shot inside and a free throw. Shooting nearly exclusive from inside the paint, Lucious scored 17 points on seven of eight shooting and a perfect three-for-three from the line. She added seven boards and three steals before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

After Lucious gave the Red Knights a 5-3 lead, Mya Robinson drew some contact and made the shot to tie the score up at 5-5. While she missed the ensuring free throw, Ava Meyers grabbed the offensive rebound, but the Trojans couldn’t convert.

Lucious and Caffey took over on offense, scoring four points each as the Red Knights extended the lead to 13-5.

Robinson drilled a three-pointer early in the second quarter to cut the Red Knight lead to 21-14 with six minutes to play. However, Incarnate’s defense tightened, allowing only one more field goal and five free throws as the Red Knights went on a 19-7 run to pull away 40-21 at halftime.

Moore started the second half the same way she did the first, hitting a three-pointer early to cut Incarnate’s lead to 40-24. But similar to the second quarter after Robinson’s three, Troy’s offense struggled the rest of the quarter, managing just one field goal and four successful free throws.

Incarnate meanwhile, after not scoring in the first two minutes of the second half, scored 28 points in the next six minutes, including 11 from Peyton Hill, who had just two in the first half.

Robinson led the Trojans with 19 points in the game, followed by Moore with 10.

Troy finishes the season with a 23-7 record and graduates three starters, Ava Meyers, Alyssa Schulte and Brynna Getz.

Incarnate (26-2), which had its record 140-game win streak snapped early this season by a California team, will try to extend its state title run with a semifinal game Wednesday against Cor Jesu at 2 p.m.

It’s the third matchup this season between the two private Catholic Schools, with the Red Knights previously winning 83-34 and 81-24.