Most freshmen who struggle to find their shots in big games wouldn’t be able to put the team on their back in the fourth quarter.

But Regina’s Emersen Holder isn’t most guards.

The ninth grader had eight points through three quarters but was encouraged to keep shooting, and she did, scoring 13 of the Saddlelites’ 20 points in the fourth quarter of Regina’s 57-51 win over the South Lake Cavaliers to win a Division 2 district championship on Friday.

“She was doubting herself,” said Regina head coach Joe Charrette. “And we as coaches said ‘shoot, because the next one will be sweet.’ And she’s a tough, competitive, smart kid, and she just kept shooting, and she was taking good shots. There’s nothing wrong. There’s a big difference between playing bad and shooting bad and it paid off. She’s only a ninth grader, too.”

The host Cavaliers took the lead early off the back of strong starts from guard Christina Gibson and forward Dania McClain to lead after the first quarter before Regina retook the lead going into halftime.

But the third quarter belonged to the Cavaliers — South Lake went on an 8-0 run to start the quarter which was part of a greater 13-2 run which got them ahead by nine points late in the third.

Then Holder found her shot.

The freshman nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to reclaim the lead for Regina three minutes into the fourth quarter, and they never trailed again.

Holder, who scored a team-high 21 points, said that her high-level play is thanks in part to her coaches and teammates’ trust in her.

“It’s, like, incredible, because having teammates that believe in you, it makes the game way better,” Holder said. “Because personally, knowing that I have my teammates there and that if I miss shots, I know that they’ll help me, they’ll get me back the ball, or they’ll shoot the ball. We have amazing shooters on our team, and I know that everybody can make it.”

That reciprocated trust led to seven points by Jailyn Houth and Sara Wilking and 15 by Megan Grzywacz.

Charrette said that the Saddlelites’ main goal was to limit Gibson and McClain. They managed to get halfway there — Gibson scored just four points in the last three quarters to finish with 10, but McClain filled the stat sheet with 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks.

Charrette, a longtime St. Clair Shores coach and native, had high praise for the senior forward, who is committed to play in college at Robert Morris.

“(McClain) is the best player, right there, top three in Macomb County, and probably the best ever to come out of here, because I’ve been in the Shores 40 years, and she’s the best player to come out of this school in my time,” he said.

McClain and the Cavaliers dealt with foul trouble for much of the game. Gracie George fouled out, and each of McClain, Gibson, Rylee Mott and Leila Jones were called for four fouls. Conversely, no Saddlelite had more than three.

South Lake head coach Wilbur Jones did not hold back in his criticisms.

“Nobody comes here to see referees and some of the calls that they didn’t make? It’s ridiculous,” Jones said.

“If you can’t be partial to both teams, don’t officiate. Get out the game, you know. And I hate to blame anything on the referee, because it’s a close game, but all my starters are in foul trouble. None of theirs are. How does that happen? We got the inside presence. She’s going to the whole inside, the whole game, but we’re the one in foul trouble.”

The loss ended the prep careers of McClain, Gibson, George and Mott. The group won 62 games with two district championships in their four years in St. Clair Shores.

“They changed the game for South Lake,” Jones said. “When they came in as ninth graders, they made a difference that time, because they love the game. (These) four girls love basketball.”

Regina’s next game — the Division 2 regional semifinals — will be against Detroit Country Day (18-5). The Yellowjackets beat Notre Dame Prep 88-40 to win their district.

And while it’ll certainly be a battle for the Saddlelites, that — and Friday night — is exactly why they played one of the most challenging schedules in the state.

“We’ve been in games all year, tough games,” Charrette said. “And these kids, they’re not afraid of the spotlight — not saying that South Lake was. They’re used to it, and our schedule paid off today. It paid off today. I’m very proud of this team. They played so hard for me, they weren’t frazzled by the moment.”

The game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. at Croswell-Lexington on Monday, March 10.

The Saddlelites will be ready.

“I think we can beat Country Day,” Holder said. “I think that it’s possible if we just play how we play. I think we can do it.”